Understanding that a student is struggling with reading is important. Understanding why a student is struggling can be even more valuable.
While some students experience reading difficulties primarily because of phonics or decoding challenges, others may struggle due to broader oral language difficulties. Distinguishing between these underlying factors can help educators make more informed instructional decisions, provide targeted support, and identify students who may benefit from additional evaluation.
This past July, we announced new field test measures in Star CBM Math and Star CBM Lectura designed to expand insight and grade-level coverage into foundational math and Spanish literacy skills. For more information about those measures and other recent enhancements across Renaissance assessments, see our July 2026 Product Update post.
We are now introducing the addition of the Sentence Repetition field test measure for Star CBM Reading. This new field test measure is designed to collect data that will help support the development of future oral language screening benchmarks while giving educators early access to additional insight into students’ oral language skills.
Expanding insight into early literacy development
Star CBM Reading helps educators assess foundational literacy skills and identify students who may need additional support. The new Sentence Repetition field test measure extends those insights by gathering information about a student’s oral language abilities.
The Sentence Repetition measure evaluates a student’s ability to hear, retain, and accurately repeat spoken sentences. Because successful sentence repetition relies on multiple oral language skills, the measure provides information beyond foundational decoding skills and may help educators better understand individual student needs.
Why this matters
Oral language is a critical component of reading development. Students who face challenges in oral language development may demonstrate similar reading challenges while requiring very different instructional support.
The Sentence Repetition field test measure is being evaluated as a future screening tool that will help educators:
- Gain additional insight into students’ oral language skills.
- Compare oral language performance across students in a classroom using raw scores.
- Better distinguish potential language-based challenges from decoding-related reading difficulties.
- Support more targeted intervention planning.
- Contribute data that will help establish future oral language screening benchmarks.
Early access during field testing
Available during the 2026–2027 school year, the Sentence Repetition measure is being released as a field test for all Star CBM Reading customers. No opt-in is required.
During the field test period:
- Raw scores will be available.
- No benchmarks will be displayed.
- Data will not appear in views outside of the classroom.
- Data will not be available through exports or extracts.
- The measure may be administered multiple times within a screening window.
- The measure is not intended for progress monitoring.
- Educators are encouraged to use the measure with all students at least three times in the school year—fall, winter, and spring—and should record the administration for scoring fidelity and to support benchmark validation.
The Sentence Repetition field test measure is intended primarily for students in grades K–3 and requires no student-facing forms. To administer:
- The teacher reads a series of sentences aloud.
- The student repeats each sentence after the teacher says it.
- The teacher scores the student’s oral response, marking errors.
- Scores are calculated automatically in the software. Results are reported as a percentage of words correct.
- The measure will automatically appear as a new field test option within the Star CBM Record Book for all Star CBM Reading customers.
Looking ahead
By participating in the field test, educators not only gain access to a new oral language measure but also contribute valuable data that will help to shape future oral language screening benchmarks. Growing research highlights the importance of oral language alongside other foundational language and literacy skills when examining risk for future reading difficulties. Interested in the research behind these recommendations? Download the new whitepaper Bringing Dyslexia Screening into the Future to learn more.
As Renaissance continues to expand the insights available through Star CBM Reading, the Sentence Repetition field test measure represents an important step toward helping educators better understand student needs and provide more targeted support for developing readers. For more information about administering the new Sentence Repetition field test measure, or about Star CBM in general, please refer to this help article.