PADDI and PAST: What are my options?

PADDI and PAST: What are my options?

Overview

You can use the Phonemic Awareness Development: A Diagnostic for Instruction (PADDI) or the Phonological Awareness Screening Test (PAST) to assess your students' phonological or phonemic awareness skills and plan instruction.

Both tools offer valuable insights to guide your teaching, and we are happy to share that Lexia® LETRS​® now supports the use of the PADDI or the PAST. You can use either assessment to identify the best instructional starting point for your students.

This article explores both options to help you choose the tool that best fits your students' needs.

Applies to: Participants who have accounts in the the Lexia® LETRS​® learning platform suite (Lexia® LETRS​®​​, Lexia® LETRS​®​ for Early Childhood Educators, and/or Lexia® LETRS​®​​ for Administrators).

What are the PADDI and the PAST?

What is the PADDI?

As an informal diagnostic tool, the PADDI assists educators in identifying the most appropriate entry point for phonological awareness instruction, serving learners from Pre-K through adulthood. This assessment helps to identify phoneme-level skills that are essential for reading and spelling development, while measuring both student accuracy and efficiency.

What is the PAST?

The PAST is an established screening tool used to assess phonemic awareness and proficiency skills and inform instruction.

Phonemic proficiency is the ability to hear and identify the sounds in spoken words automatically. This skill helps learners connect sounds to letters and store words in memory, making it easier to recognize and read words instantly in the future.

How are the PADDI and the PAST similar?

Both tools:

• Assess phonological or phonemic awareness skills

• Help identify where students may need instruction

• Provide information that educators can use to plan instruction

• Are typically used when more detailed diagnostic insight is needed

How are the PADDI and the PAST different?

The PADDI and the PAST reflect slightly different approaches to assessing phonological awareness.

PADDI

• Emphasizes phoneme-level skills, especially phoneme deletion

• Focuses only on skills closely connected to reading and spelling development

• Includes guidance on scoring and interpreting results that supports English learners and students with language variation

• Is a diagnostic tool used to pinpoint where to start instruction, and to help plan what to teach and in what order

• Specifically designed for students with dyslexia, learning disorders, and English Language Learners

• Can be used for any grade where reading is below expectations

• Training is not required, and any classroom teacher can administer the assessment

• Results connect directly to a built-in instruction plan

PAST

• Assesses phonemic awareness and proficiency

• Includes deletion and substitution tasks

• Is a screening tool used to flag students who need additional help

• Training is recommended

• Results flag students, and the school decides on next steps

When might each assessment be useful?

Both tools can support instructional planning. You may consider:

• The specific skills you want to assess

• How the assessment aligns with your instructional focus

• The needs of your students

• Your experience and familiarity with each tool

• District or school-level assessment practices

Do I need to switch from the PAST to the PADDI?

LETRS supports the use of either the PAST or the PADDI. The PADDI is a new option that aligns with updated research and LETRS pedagogy. Please work with your district or campus leader to determine which assessment your team will use.