Hampton-Brown

TM
Reading,
Writing, &
Language

Placement Test

Powered by The Lexile Framework® for Reading

Fundamentals through Level C

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 Hampton-Brown

TM
Reading,
Writing, &
Language

Placement Test

Powered by The Lexile Framework® for Reading

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 Acknowledgments
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 Contents

Contents
Placement Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Phonics and Decoding Test (Optional) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

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 Placement Test

Placement Test

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 Name Date

Placement
DIRECTIONS The test administrator will go over DIRECTIONS Answer questions 1–40.
the sample item with you. Mark your answers.
xxxxx xxxxx

Sample 1 I read a good .

horse
It is at night.
water
red book
big yard
dark
xxxxx
high
2 You will lunch.
help
eat
run
sing

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 Name Date

Placement, continued
Some days, clouds gather in the sky. The air feels wet. Winds 3 Clouds can bring .
begin to blow. Lightning might even be seen. Thunder might be
birds
heard. Water falls from the clouds.
dirt
rain
friends

A duck swims on the water. Sometimes it needs to go 4 The duck can .

somewhere. It lifts its wings and flaps them. The duck goes
hide
faster. It lifts out of the water. It rises into the air.
fly
talk
sleep

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 Name Date

Placement, continued
Grandma needs to buy food. She will go to the store. So she 5 Grandma is making a .
finds a piece of paper. She gets a pencil out of her desk. She
list
is out of sugar and needs more. She writes that down. She also
needs more milk and some bread. She writes those things sound
down, too. meal
hat

Frances thought she saw something run across the floor. She 6 The mouse tried to .
got out of bed to look. She saw a mouse! It had giant front teeth.
sleep
The mouse and Frances stared at each other for a long time.
Suddenly, the mouse sprang forward and ran into a hole in the swim
wall! Frances screamed. hide
hunt

Karla walked out onto her porch. It was a calm, dark night. She 7 Karla looked at the .
gazed up at the sky above her. She couldn’t see any clouds at all.
storms
Tiny dots of light filled the sky. Karla knew the bright spots were
much bigger than they seemed. They were just very far away. books
dancers
stars

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 Name Date

Placement, continued
Joe looked around the corner. He didn’t see any of the other kids. 8 Joe was .
The hall was dark and all the classroom doors were closed. He
hungry
leaned against the wall, sighed deeply, and shrugged. He wished
that school didn’t have to end for the summer. Joe began walking sad
down the hall. playful
busy

Tina likes to play. Her favorite game is to pretend she is an 9 Tina pretends she is a .
animal. She likes to walk on her hands and knees. She also likes
cat
to rub against her mom’s legs. Tina’s mom likes to play with
Tina. She scratches behind Tina’s ears. Tina purrs loudly. tree
baby
farmer

Ben was a boy who loved to sing. When his friends came over 10 Ben was of his singing.
to play he would sing as loud as he could. His friends would
careful
always laugh and clap. Ben would bow and grin. Every night,
Ben would dream about singing on a stage. He wanted to sing afraid
for the whole world. unsure
proud

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 Name Date

Placement, continued
Lillian liked her project. She had spent hours reading about 11 Lillian needed to be .
China. She had gone to the Asian market and bought chopsticks.
careful
She had cut beautiful pictures out of magazines. Her information
was ready to be presented. But her stomach ached, and she brave
wished her mother had let her stay home. As Mr. Murphy called quiet
her name, she took a deep breath. She walked to the front of different
the class. It was now time to face her fear of speaking in front
of people.

A mimosa is a shrub. It is native to tropical America. It has fern- 12 The mimosa .

like leaflets. When threatened, the leaves of the mimosa close up
ripens
on themselves. The greater the threat seems, the faster they will
close. A light touch might spark a slow response. A hard flick fades
might make an entire plant’s leaves close quickly. An electrical explodes
signal moves down the stem. The distance along the plant that reacts
the response spreads also depends upon the stimulus. At the base
of each leaflet, the signal tells the leaflet to close. It works the
same way nerve cells work.

There are different types of ants. One type is called the leafcutter 13 The ants have a .
ant. Leafcutter ants are farmers. They cut pieces off leaves. They
release
carry the pieces down to their nest. There, workers chew up and
spit out the leaves. Then an ant will take fungal growth from an system
old garden and plant it on the new leaf bits. This way, they grow mixture
more fungus, which feeds the ants. Between three and eight language
million ants live in each colony. Each ant has a job to do, such as
cutting leaves, preparing leaves, or planting the gardens.

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Placement, continued
Alpacas are llama-like animals with long, woolly hair. They have 14 Alpaca spit is used for .
been domesticated for thousands of years and are kept mostly
defense
for their hair. When most people think of alpacas, they probably
think of a spitting alpaca. But in truth, most alpacas rarely nutrition
spit. Some go their entire lives without spitting. They only spit appearance
when threatened and generally only do so at other alpacas, not entertainment
humans. Sometimes humans happen to get in the way. Alpaca
spit is known for its extremely foul odor. The smell is caused by
stomach acid. Their spit is comprised of mostly stomach acid,
not saliva.

The Australian Cattle Dog is a herding dog. This fearless breed 15 Heelers like to be .
was developed just for herding cattle. They nip the heels of cows
alone
to get them to move, which is where they get their nickname
“Heelers.” Heelers are known for their energy and intelligence. obeyed
Many Heelers are used by farmers and ranchers to control cattle. active
The dogs seem to thrive when they have jobs and are busy. creative
Those that are kept as pets do best when they are given plenty of
attention and exercise.

Did you know that the letter “E” is the most commonly used 16 Wright’s novel was an task.
letter in the English language? Ernest Vincent Wright wrote
emotional
a novel without using the letter “E.” To prevent himself from
using the letter, he tied down the “E” type-bar on his typewriter. unnoticed
Gadsby, Wright’s novel, is over 50,000 words long. In its writing intrusive
he had to avoid words such as “he,” “she,” and past tense verbs ambitious
ending in “-ed.” People said it was impossible to write this way.
However, Ernest Vincent Wright proved them wrong.

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Placement, continued
Most documents created during the Middle Ages were not 17 Vellum is .
written on paper. Instead they were written on vellum. Vellum is
durable
a kind of parchment created from calfskin. Other animal hides
were also used as paper. But calfskin was preferred because it fragrant
is thin, smooth, and resilient. Vellum is far more long-lasting stylish
than paper. Even when paper became cheaper and more widely lengthy
available in the late Middle Ages, many important documents
were still written on vellum. Many medieval documents are still
in excellent condition today because they were produced
on vellum.

The story of “The Star-Spangled Banner” is well-known. During 18 The flag had great .
the War of 1812, British ships were bombarding Fort McHenry
handiwork
near Baltimore. A man named Francis Scott Key was inspired
by the flag that waved over the fort the morning after they were illustrators
attacked. Reportedly, the flag was of legendary dimensions. visibility
At 30 by 42 feet, the flag’s original size would have covered a competition
quarter of a modern basketball court. It was 90 feet above the
ground and could be seen from miles away. Francis Scott Key
was, in fact, eight miles downriver when the flag inspired him to
write the poem that would become our national anthem.

The rain pounded the windows, and Fredrick couldn’t shake the 19 Fredrick organized his cards.
gloom that descended on him as they drove past the baseball
methodically
field. He was supposed to have a baseball game, and the coach
was going to put Fredrick in as the pitcher, but it was cancelled alphabetically
because of rain. Instead, Fredrick pulled out his baseball cards, relentlessly
hoping the familiar faces of the famous players would cheer him. incorrectly
First, Fredrick sorted the cards by team, then by the year the card
was printed. He examined each one before carefully putting it
back into its plastic cover and filing it away. When he finished,
the rain had stopped, and he realized that he felt better.

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 Name Date

Placement, continued
Paul rolled along the sidewalk, crossing the cracks rhythmically 20 Paul was .
until he reached the ramp, where he let his momentum carry him
compulsive
halfway up. He pushed against the wheels as he approached the
corner, slowly. This doorway was his least favorite in the entire antisocial
school. It was difficult to turn the 90-degree corner and then persistent
open the door into the same three feet of space that he and his lighthearted
wheelchair occupied. But after three years, he’d found that if he
didn’t turn the corner completely, he could grab the door and
open it without hitting his chair and without having to back up.

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 Name Date

Placement, continued
DIRECTIONS Read the following passage about Paule Marshall and
complete the statements.
Paule Marshall is an American author. She was born in Brooklyn, New York 21 parks
in 1929. Her parents were from Barbados. Barbados is a Caribbean island near school
South America. Marshall knew that she wanted to be a writer at a young age. friendship
She went to Brooklyn College. She wanted to learn more so she went to Hunter
meetings
21
College next. She loved learning, and she loved writing. She enjoyed .
At first Marshall wrote poems. Her poems were about growing up in
22 sadness
Brooklyn. She wrote about having immigrant parents. Writing about America
22
music
was another favorite subject. She wrote about her . Later on, she
lists
started writing stories. She wrote short stories and long stories. The long stories
life
became novels. She started selling her novels. People liked reading them. They
liked how she described things. Her books made people laugh, cry, and think.
Marshall kept writing. Her writing became more 23
. 23 forgotten
Marshall still lives in New York City. She is still writing. Writing is not missed
all she does though. She likes to travel to new places and to meet new people. known
She also likes teaching. Marshall has taught at many colleges. She has taught removed
24
all around the country. She loves to places. Teaching people how
to become better writers and readers inspires her. Marshall encourages people 24 visit
to write about their own lives. She helps people learn how to read an author’s clean
words carefully. The power of the written word is important to her. paint
Paule Marshall has written many books of stories and poems over the years.
watch
She has also won prizes and awards. People around the world read her stories
25
and think about them. She is a respected author. She is a(n) writer.
25 young
great
quick
unusual

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 Name Date

Placement, continued
DIRECTIONS Read the following passage about Naomi’s experience and
complete the statements.
One of Naomi’s favorite things was going to the dim sum restaurant with her 26 accustomed
dad on Sunday mornings. They had been doing it since she was little. At first dedicated
she was too young to fully appreciate the flavors of the tiny Chinese foods. But tied
as she grew older, she came to love the variety of little foods she was able to
resigned
choose at the restaurant. She also enjoyed the special time with her dad. She was
26
to it.
27 contrary
Naomi’s dad had explained to her that one translation of “dim sum” meant
important
“touch the heart.” Naomi didn’t understand why a food would be called “touch
dismal
the heart.” Her dad explained that dim sum was a way to have many things
numerous
that your heart desired by having such little things. From so many choices,
they could select whichever little thing their hearts desired. They had
27
options. 28 assignments
None of Naomi’s ninth-grade friends knew what it was like to eat dim sum routines
every Sunday morning for years. She tried to explain it. Her friends just shook instincts
their heads and said they had pancakes on Sunday morning. They had different complaints
28
. It wasn’t just the food that she loved. It was that Naomi got to be
with her dad. She talked about school, her friends, and anything that was on her
mind. Naomi had come to equate dim sum with a time she could be alone with
her dad to enjoy little foods that touched the heart.

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 Name Date

Placement, continued
DIRECTIONS Read the following passage about radar and complete
the statements.
Radar is a system that measures the position and movement of objects from 29 Several
a distance. Radar systems use radio waves. Something as solid as an airplane or Limited
automobile or something as insubstantial as a cloud can be observed using radar. Unfamiliar
29
substances can be measured.
Normal
The radar system is composed of a transmitter and receiver. The transmitter
sends out pulses of radio waves. These pulses bounce back when they hit an
30 campaigns
object. The receiver measures these reflected pulses. These reflections show the
countries
position and motion of the object. Usually the transmitter rotates or scans back
broadcasts
and forth to find all objects in a certain area. By using radio waves instead of
professions
visible light, objects can be detected at great distances. A radar device can be
small enough to be held by hand, or it can be a giant radar antenna used to track
objects in space. 31 challenged
Many different people use radar. Police use it to find speeding drivers. advanced
Airports use it to control where planes fly. Most commercial airplanes have avoided
their own radar on board that warns of possible collisions with nearby aircraft. exposed
Radar can be used to track storms. Astronomers use it to study objects in the
30
solar system. Different use radar. 32 organize
Radar originally stood for “Radio Detection and Ranging.” No one person record
invented radar. During the early 20th century, different scientists contributed prevent
to its development. It was originally designed to detect airplanes and ships for
increase
military purposes. Radar was first used for practical purposes in World War II.
Both sides raced to improve their radar capabilities. After the war, radar was
used for other purposes. In 1946, radar beams were bounced off of the moon.
31
Many people radar technologies.
Stealth technology attempts to make objects invisible to radar. The United
States has developed stealth fighter and bomber planes. They use special
coatings and shapes to make it harder for radio waves to bounce off of them.
32
They are trying to the reflection of radar waves.

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 Name Date

Placement, continued
DIRECTIONS Read the following passage about graphic designers and
complete the statements.
Have you ever been in the store and noticed that the appearance of a package 33 significantly
had changed? Maybe the label on the green beans was different from the last effortlessly
time you saw it. If you pay attention to details like these, you might just be on temporarily
your way to becoming a graphic designer. Graphic designers are artists who are
reportedly
responsible for creating the look and identity for a product, idea, or marketing
program. That might mean a food package, a catalog, a Web site, a magazine, or
34 questionable
even a CD cover. Almost every product you see looks the way it does because of
digital
a graphic designer.
disabled
This profession has changed very much over the past twenty years. Designers
undeveloped
used to “paste up” their ideas to show them to clients. Now designers can use
a computer to create layouts, show images, and print color proofs for clients
to review. Computers have 33
changed graphic design. There are 35 unjust
many computer programs that help designers with page layout, photo competitive
retouching, and illustration. Instead of using paper and pencil, most designers fleeting
use a mouse or stylus to draw directly on the computer screen. Designers use varied
34
technology.
Graphic designers work in many types of environments. Newspapers 36 obstructed
and magazines need designers to arrange articles and create advertisements. renounced
Corporations hire graphic designers to produce documents and sales tools for enriched
clients and products. Many designers are able to freelance and work with many
acknowledged
clients directly from their home offices. Graphic designers are often part of
a creative team. This team can include marketing professionals, copywriters,
media buyers, and photographers. They also work closely with printers and Web
35
developers. Graphic designers have professional experiences.
The field of graphic design is constantly changing as technology changes.
There is a bright future for students who choose to study design. College courses
often include typography, photography, layout, and design. Art school can be a
36
great place to learn how to express creative ideas. Design work is
by education.

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 Name Date

Placement, continued
DIRECTIONS Read the following passage about the Dust Bowl and
complete the statements.
In the 1930s, the prairies of the United States and Canada experienced a 37 dislodged
great ecological disaster known as the Dust Bowl. During a decade-long period, integrated
a series of huge dust storms swept over the land. Winds blowing across the nourished
prairies picked up dry topsoil from drought-stricken farmlands and carried it
corrupted
eastward in great black clouds. At times the dust was so thick it blocked out the
sun and turned day into night. Dust from prairie farms blew eastward as far as
37
38 revolutionary
Chicago, where the dirt from the prairies fell like snow. The wind
destructive
the soil.
precise
The dust storms forced farmers to become migrants. With the rich topsoil
intricate
gone, they could no longer raise crops. Unable to make a living on their land,
farmers across Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, Arkansas, and the rest of the Great
Plains lost their farms, homes, and way of life. Many of the displaced farmers 39 prosperous
moved to California, hoping to find jobs there. protected
The Dust Bowl taught farmers important lessons about agricultural practices viable
that are still followed today. In the years leading up to the Dust Bowl, farmers valueless
had begun cultivating land that wasn’t really suitable for agriculture. Plowing
vast expanses of grass-covered prairie, farmers upset the natural ecological 40 traditional
balance and exposed the land to the forces of erosion. Their farming methods communicative
38
were . advantageous
Under conditions of normal rainfall, the farmers were successful. But after
misleading
several years of drought, it became clear that they were facing a problem they
couldn’t fix. With no cover left, the bare prairie topsoil turned to dust and rose
high into the sky when the winds came. Once the nutrient-rich topsoil was gone,
39
the land could no longer support agriculture. The land was .
Although the Dust Bowl years were very hard on thousands of farmers, the
experience did result in some positive effects. Today farmers have a much better
understanding of the importance of using agricultural practices that are suited to
40
the environment. Farmers have gained information.

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 Phonics and Decoding Test

Phonics and Decoding Test (Optional)

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 Name Date

Phonics and Decoding

Read aloud the directions for the first set of
Directions Say the name of the picture. Look at the dark letters. items and work through the sample item. Then
Which letter spells the first sound? Mark your answer. have students complete the items in the set
independently. Repeat for each set of items.
xxxxx
Script for Sample: The name of this picture is pan. The first
Sample sound in pan is /p/. That’s why the circle next to the p is filled in.
Name the pictures in Items 1­–4, then repeat the directions.

g p m v

pan

xxxxx

1
w o h k

key

xxxxx

2
u v qu y

van

xxxxx

3
j i r f

jacket

xxxxx

4
s c e a

seed

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 Name Date

Phonics and Decoding, continued

Directions Say the name of the picture. Look at the dark letters.
Which letter spells the last sound? Mark your answer.
xxxxx
Script for Sample: The name of this picture is fan. The last
Sample sound in fan is /n/. That’s why the circle next to the n is filled in.
Name the pictures in Items 5–8, then repeat the directions.

k m n t

fan

xxxxx

5
l p n g

bag

xxxxx

6
m z t d

bed

xxxxx

7
m g s n

drum

xxxxx

8
d p l x

cup

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 Name Date

Phonics and Decoding, continued

DIRECTIONS Which word names the picture? xxxxx

Mark your answer. 13 pot

xxxxx
pat
pit
Sample Script for Sample:
I see a cat in the pet
cap picture, so I’ll read
all four words: cap,
cot
cot, cat, cup. The xxxxx
cat third word is cat.
cup That’s why its circle 14 bed
is filled in. Do all bell
the items this way. belt
bench
xxxxx

9 hit
hat xxxxx

hot 15 class
hut brush
block
trunk
xxxxx

10 pen
pin xxxxx

pick 16 sea
pack seal
seed
sail
xxxxx

11 big
bag xxxxx

bug 17 team
beg tree
truck
train
xxxxx

12 not
nut
net
nest

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Phonics and Decoding, continued

xxxxx xxxxx

18 bat 22 Which word has the

bank long a sound you hear in ?
boat mad
beach land
tape
catch
xxxxx

19 tip
tie xxxxx

tray 23 Which word has the

tea long i sound you hear in ?
fin
drip
xxxxx
time
20 fast stick
first
fruit
xxxxx
fright
24 Which word has the
long o sound you hear in ?
DIRECTIONS Read each question. on
Say the name of the little picture to yourself. chop
Find the answer. Mark your answer. rock
xxxxx
rope
Sample See Script for Sample on
the right.
Which word has the Script for Sample: Read the question. Say: The
long o sound you hear in ? name of the little picture is globe, globe. Now I need
to find another word that has the sound /o/ that I hear
no in globe. I’ll read the words: no, not, mop, song. No
not and globe both have the sound /o/. That’s why the
mop circle next to no is filled in. Do the rest of the items the
same way. Name the rebuses for students: feet, cake,
song
bike, globe.

xxxxx

21 Which word has the

long e sound you hear in ?
she
let
end
bell

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 Name Date

Phonics and Decoding, continued

Directions Read each item. Choose the answer that goes in the sentence.
Mark your answer.
xxxxx

Sample
The dancers
are .
jump
jumping
jumped
jump

xxxxx

25 The girls are .

smile
smiled
smiles
smiling

xxxxx

26 Sari is .
jog
jogs
jogging
jogged

© NGSP & HB 20 EDGE • Phonics and Decoding Test

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 Name Date

Phonics and Decoding, continued

Directions Which word names the picture?
Mark your answer.
xxxxx xxxxx

27 fern 31 can
fear coin
form cone
farm cane

xxxxx xxxxx

28 cub 32 clock
curl cloud
car clean
clue clown

xxxxx xxxxx

29 pear 33 man
park mine
prize mean
porch moon

xxxxx xxxxx

30 dirt 34 box
deep back
deer bike
dress book

© NGSP & HB 21 EDGE • Phonics and Decoding Test

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 Name Date

Phonics and Decoding, continued

DIRECTIONS Read each question. Say the name
of the little picture to yourself. Find the answers.
Mark your answer.
xxxxx xxxxx

35 say 38 Which word has the sound

saw for g that you hear at the end of ?
see gum
six got
gem
game
xxxxx

36 boil
xxxxx
bell
bull 39 Which word has the
ball sound for c that you hear in ?
cut
city
xxxxx place
37 kite center
night
knife
write Script for Sample: Read the question. Say: The
name of the little picture is globe, globe. Now I need
to find another word that has the sound /o/ that I hear
in globe. I’ll read the words: no, not, mop, song. No
and globe both have the sound /o/. That’s why the
circle next to no is filled in. Do the rest of the items the
same way. Name the rebuses for students: cage, cake.

© NGSP & HB 22 EDGE • Phonics and Decoding Test

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 Name Date

Phonics and Decoding, continued

DIRECTIONS Read the sentence. Look at the DIRECTIONS What does each sentence mean?
underlined word. Choose the correct way Mark your answer.
to divide the word into syllables.
xxxxx
Mark your answer.
Sample See Script for Sample below.
xxxxx

Sample See Script for Sample below. The beach is sandy.

The beach has no sand.
I am in the contest.
The beach is full of sand.
cont est The beach is close to the sand.
co ntest The beach has just a little bit of sand.
con test

xxxxx

xxxxx
44 The cake is uncut.
40 They planted one hundred trees. The cake is not cut.
hun dred The cake is cut again.
hund red The cake has many cuts.
hu ndred The cake is cut in a messy way.
xxxxx
xxxxx

41 I ate an apple. 45 The horse ran quickly across the field.

app le The horse was not very quick.
ap ple The horse ran across the field again.
a pple The horse did not run across the field.
xxxxx The horse ran across the field in a quick way.
42 She likes music.
mu sic Script for Sample: Read the sentence. Say: First
mus ic I’ll think about the important words in the sentence. I
know what a beach is. I see the suffix -y means “ full
m usic of,” so sandy means “full of sand.” I think the sentence
xxxxx means that the beach is full of sand. Now I’ll read each
sentence below. Yes, the circle next to that sentence is
43 Read it carefully.
filled in. Do all the items this way.
car efully
care fu lly
care ful ly
car eful ly

Script for Sample: Read the sentence. Say: I need

to show where to divide contest into syllables. I’ll read
the three ways and say them to myself: cont-est,
co-ntest, con-test. There are two consonants between
the vowels in contest, so I’ll divide contest between
the two consonants. When I say con-test, that sounds
right, too. That’s why the circle for con test is filled in.
Do the rest of the items the same way.

© NGSP & HB 23 EDGE • Phonics and Decoding Test

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EDGE_Place_SB_fnl.indd 25 7/1­8/08 9:51­:09 AM
 Hampton-Brown

TM
Reading,
Writing, &
Language

Placement Test

Powered by The Lexile Framework® for Reading

800-333-3510
www.NGSP.com

ISBN-13: 978-0-7362-3886-1
ISBN-10: 0-7362-3886-7 1

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