Description

The Test of Reading Performance (TORP-13) is a psychometric assessment tool designed to evaluate the reading ability of elementary school students. It consists of 13 tasks developed according to factor analysis principles and is structured around six main components: word recognition, pseudoword recognition, comprehension, reading speed, morphology, and syntax.

The test is designed for primary school students and aims to support the early identification and understanding of reading difficulties within the educational context.

Objective

The main objective of the TORP-13 is to provide an accurate and reliable assessment of students’ reading proficiency, facilitating early detection of reading difficulties and supporting the design of appropriate educational interventions.

The instrument has been specifically developed to address the educational requirements of the Greek school context.

Structure and Content

The TORP-13 evaluates six fundamental dimensions of reading ability:

Word Recognition, assessing the ability to accurately identify and read familiar words.

Pseudoword Recognition, evaluating decoding skills through the reading of unfamiliar or invented words.

Reading Comprehension, examining the ability to understand written information.

Reading Speed, assessing the efficiency and fluency of reading.

Morphology, evaluating the understanding and use of word structures.

Syntax, assessing the comprehension and application of grammatical structures.

Scoring Method

Each component of the TORP-13 is assessed through two to four exercises. The results are converted into percentages, and the average percentage score determines the student’s performance in each factor as well as their overall reading performance.

The test can be administered multiple times during the academic year, allowing monitoring of students’ reading development and progress over time.

Data Analysis and Use

The analysis of TORP-13 data is based on Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Discriminant Analysis to evaluate the structure and diagnostic effectiveness of the instrument.

The test allows students to be classified into three performance categories:

High reading performance, moderate reading difficulties, and severe reading difficulties.

The results can be used to individualize instruction and implement targeted educational interventions according to students’ specific reading needs.

Validity

The validity of the TORP-13 was examined through Confirmatory Factor Analysis in both pilot and testing samples. The results demonstrated excellent model fit, with CFI values ranging from 0.933 to 0.991 and RMSEA values ranging from 0.029 to 0.061, confirming the six-factor structure of the test.

The instrument was also shown to effectively distinguish students with high performance, moderate difficulties, and serious reading problems.

Reliability

The reliability of the TORP-13 was assessed through inter-rater agreement and internal consistency analysis.

Cronbach’s alpha coefficients demonstrated high internal consistency, with values of α = 0.83 in the pilot sample and α = 0.87 in the testing sample, confirming the consistency and reliability of the test results.

Applications

The TORP-13 can be applied in educational assessment, school psychology, special education, and research on reading development.

It provides educators and specialists with a structured method for identifying reading difficulties, monitoring progress, and designing individualized interventions to improve reading skills.

References

Padeliadu, S., & Sideridis, G. D. (2000). Discriminant validation of the Test of Reading Performance (TORP) for identifying children at risk of reading difficulties. European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 16, 139–146.

Sideridis, G. D., & Padeliadu, S. (2000). An examination of the psychometric properties of the Test of Reading Performance using structural equation modeling. Psychological Reports, 86, 789–802.