UFLI Phonics Placement Made Easy

Not Sure Where to Begin Your Students’ Phonics Journey? Discover the UFLI Intervention Placement Test!

UFLI has released a powerful new tool: the Intervention Placement Test! This test is designed to pinpoint each student’s strengths and instructional needs. It helps you determine exactly where to start within the UFLI program—no guesswork required!

🎯 Who Is It For?

This test is ideal for:

• Intervention teachers

• Educators working with small groups

• Anyone targeting specific phonics gaps

  
  

If you're supporting students who need tailored instruction, this test is your go-to starting point!

📋 What’s Inside the Test?

• 210 items across 11 skill sets

• Covers everything from short vowels and digraphs to suffixes, prefixes, and complex vowel patterns

• Students read real and nonsense words—a key feature for assessing true decoding ability (no memorization tricks here!)

  
  

📥 Where to Get It

Download the UFLI Placement Test for Intervention for free from the UFLI site: UFLI Placement Test PDF

🧑‍🏫 How to Administer

1. Print the teacher form (for you) and the student materials (for them).

2. Follow the instructions on page two of the test, this will clearly explain to the student what you are doing.

3. Present one line at a time, covering the next line with a blank sheet if needed.

4. Underline correct responses and circle errors.

5. If a student misses 3 words in a single line, stop the test—this indicates their likely starting point and helps avoid frustration.

   
   

📊 Using the Results

Refer to the Data Summary & Decision Guidance on page 1. After each skill set, you’ll find clear recommendations for where to begin in the UFLI Foundations sequence.

❤️ What About Heart Words?

Heart words can be tricky! A quick reading check will help you identify which ones need review. Want a fun way to practice them? Be sure to click here for UFLI Heart Word Practice Sheets.

🧾 Final Notes: What This Test Is and Isn’t

✅ Is	❌ Isn’t
A validated tool for intervention placement	A universal screener for all students
Designed for small group or targeted instruction	A tool for progress monitoring
Based on the UFLI Foundations scope & sequence	Needed for initial K–2 placement (just follow the manual!)

📋 What About the Friday Monitoring?

Do I still need to do that? Yes, you do! This is important for your whole class or intervention groups to ensure they have grasped the concepts you have been teaching. You can grab a free monitoring template for these from this website here: Progress Monitoring templates.

Conclusion

I hope this summary helps you! With the UFLI Intervention Placement Test, you can confidently guide your students on their phonics journey. Let’s make learning fun and effective together!