Which assessment components are critical in screening for reading difficulties suspicious for dyslexia, and how would you document concerns to guide intervention?

• A. Phonological awareness, rapid naming, decoding, fluency, and comprehension; document patterns of weakness with potential CLD considerations.
• B. Visuo-motor integration and handwriting fluency.
• C. Phonological/phonemic awareness, rapid naming, decoding, reading fluency, and bias-free measures; document patterns of weakness, CLD considerations, and recommended evidence-based interventions.
• D. Oral language only.

Answer: (C)

The main idea is that screening for dyslexia risk relies on a multi-domain profile of core reading-related processes and on fair, bias-free assessment so results reflect true strengths and needs across diverse students. Phonological or phonemic awareness taps the ability to notice and manipulate sound structures, which is foundational for decoding. Rapid naming measures how quickly a student retrieves phonological information, another sensitive predictor of dyslexia. Decoding assesses the ability to map sounds to letters, a direct link to word recognition, while reading fluency combines accuracy and speed to reveal real-time reading efficiency. Using bias-free measures helps ensure that results aren’t distorted by language background, culture, or testing language, which is crucial when CLD considerations are involved. Documenting the specific pattern of weaknesses across these areas, along with CLD context, provides a clear picture that guides intervention. It also invites recommendations for evidence-based practices, such as explicit, systematic phonics and phonemic awareness instruction, targeted decoding practice, and fluency-building activities, with a plan for progress monitoring and supports. The emphasis on these components and on fair interpretation with concrete intervention guidance makes this option the best fit.