Universal Screeners for Dyslexia: Where is the Spelling?

Given the integral role spelling plays in literacy development, it would be expected that universal dyslexia screeners include a spelling component. This analysis aimed to determine if spelling is included in commonly used universal dyslexia screeners throughout the United States. We found only 45% (9/20) of the universal dyslexia screeners for kindergarten–Grade 3 include a spelling measure. When spelling measures were included, they were always included in Grade 1 and least likely to be included at the kindergarten level. Results also indicate that phonetically regular words and a correct/incorrect scoring metric are used most frequently. Only one screener included spelling progress monitoring forms. This study provides a synthesis of the status of spelling measures in literacy screeners widely used in the U.S. Educators, researchers, and policymakers can utilize this comprehensive information to make informed decisions when creating, approving, selecting, administering, and/or interpreting universal dyslexia screeners.