Nonsense Words on Tests: Why Schools Use Them and What They Reveal

Your child comes home from school talking about a reading test. “I had to read fake words,” she says, clearly confused. “Words like ‘zop’ and ‘flib’ and ‘dake.’ They weren’t even real!” You’re confused too. Why would teachers test your child on words that don’t exist? It seems pointless, maybe even cruel. But here’s the […]