Act 20

Wisconsin Act 20, also known as the Wisconsin Reading Law, requires that children are assessed in the early reading skills of alphabet knowledge, letter-sound knowledge, phonemic awareness, and decoding.

In Wisconsin, each child in grades 4K-3 will take an assessment called the aimswebPlus early reading screener. A screener is an assessment that quickly checks your child’s reading skills.

What skills are tested?

The screener checks important literacy skills, including alphabet knowledge, letter-sound knowledge, phonemic awareness, decoding, and oral vocabulary. The skills are tested differently based on the child’s grade level.

When will the reading screener take place?

The aimswebPlus early reading screener will take place 1-3 times per year.

What information will parents/caregivers receive?

Parents will receive their child’s test results within 15 days after taking the reading screener. The school will give a report sharing the child’s score and how others score at the same grade level. This comparison is called a percentile rank.

How will the information be used?

The information from the early reading screener is one way that a child’s teacher will learn about reading skills. However, the reading screener will not diagnose dyslexia or other disabilities. If a child’s score is below the 25th percentile, we will do additional diagnostic testing and create a personalized reading plan to help that child meet grade-level goals.

How can I prepare my child for the early reading screener?

No special preparation for aimswebPlus reading screener is needed. Just send your child to school as usual. The testing is quick and should not be a big event for your child.