PALS (VA K-2 Universal Screener)

The Phonological Awareness Literacy Screener (PALS) is an informal screening inventory required by the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) and is administered to all students in grades Kindergarten through second grade. All K-2 students take PALS at the beginning and end of the year. PALS is designed to provide teachers with information for planning classroom instruction and for identifying students who may be at risk for reading difficulty. The screening consists of several tasks relating to sound and print knowledge. Each task has grade-level expectations, and scores from selected tasks are added together to create a summed score.

PALS Screening Tasks

Depending on the grade level, PALS screening tasks include:

PALS Screening Task	Description of Task
Rhyme Awareness (K)	Out of a set of three pictures, students are asked to identify the one that rhymes with the target picture.
Beginning Sound Awareness (K)	Out of a set of three pictures, students are asked to identify the one that has the same beginning sound as the target picture.
Sound to Letter	Students listen to a word and identify the sound they hear at the beginning, middle, and end of the word.
Blending	Students blend individual sounds into words as they hear one letter sound presented at the time.
Letter Identification	Students are asked to name the 26 lower-case letters of the alphabet.
Letter Sound Identification	Students are asked to produce the sounds of 23 letters of the alphabet, as well as three digraphs (two letters that create one sound such as /sh/)
Word Recognition in Isolation	Students are asked to read words from grade level word lists. The capacity to obtain meaning from print depends strongly on accurate, automatic recognition of words typical at each grade level.
Spelling Inventory	Students are asked to spell words which include specific phonics features. Students earn points for correct spelling features as well as for entire words. This allows teachers to identify a student’s developmental spelling stage.
Oral Reading in Context	Students orally read leveled passages and answer comprehension questions about the passage. This subtest provides information on word recognition, fluency (the ability to read, accurately, and with expression), and comprehension.

Overall benchmarks are designated in both fall and spring, as well as benchmarks for subtests. The overall benchmark, also referred to as the summed score, indicates that the student is at, below, or above grade level expectation. Subtest benchmarks refer to grade level performance on a specific skill. Teachers will use the information from the screening to provide appropriate reading and spelling instruction. Students not meeting the entry Level benchmark will receive additional instructional support on specific skills as indicated by PALS

How does APS communicate with families about PALS?

PALS is administered at the beginning and end of the school year for all K-2 students and during a midyear testing window for students who did not meet the PALS benchmark in the fall. As with all district required English Language Arts assessments, families will receive a communication from schools that their student(s) will participate in the PALS assessment prior to the beginning of the assessment window through ParentVue.

After students take PALS, APS communicates the results via ParentVue in Test History.

How do schools use PALS data?

Results from PALS are used in conjunction with additional student data to help determine individual student’s learning goals, support the planning of targeted instruction, monitor student progress, and identify students who may need additional support or instruction in foundational reading skills.

What does it mean if my child scores “below benchmark” on PALS?

A student’s score on PALS tasks provides information about whether or not the student is likely to perform on grade level with strong tier one instruction. The overall benchmark, or summed score, is used to identify students who are in need of additional instruction in foundational reading skills. Scores on individual screening measures (i.e. sound to letter, letter identification, etc.) provide specific information about a student’s performance on that particular skill. Both the summed score and the scores on individual screening measures are taken into consideration when planning instruction and/or intervention.

If a student does not meet the PALS benchmark, additional diagnostic assessments will likely be administered to determine the specific area of concern and support the planning of targeted instruction and intervention. Parents will be notified by the school and an intervention plan, designed to support the specific needs of the student, will be created, implemented, and shared with families.

Are there resources available that align to the reading skills PALS measures that families can use to provide at-home support?

Each PALS screening task focuses on a specific or set of foundation reading skills necessary for proficient reading. The table below includes each measure, the corresponding reading skill(s), and information or resources for families.

PALS Screening Task	Reading Skill(s)	Information/Resources
Rhyme Awareness	Phonological or Phonemic Awareness	Phonological and Phonemic Awareness
Beginning Sound Awareness
Sound to Letter
Blending
Letter Identification	Alphabetic Principle Phonics	The Alphabetic Principle Phonics
Letter Sound Identification
Spelling Inventory
Word Recognition in Isolation	Alphabetic Principle Phonics Accuracy and Fluency	Accuracy and Fluency
Oral Reading in Context	Alphabetic Principle Phonics Accuracy and Fluency Comprehension	Accuracy and Fluency Comprehension

The PALS website has helpful resources for families.

Learn more about PALS