The Placement Assessment addresses both phonics/decoding and sight word knowledge. The sight words are needed to engage with the connected text in SIPPS Beginning, SIPPS Extension, and SIPPS Plus.
When a student passes the spelling-sound or decoding portion of a section but does not pass the sight words portion, continue with the next section of the assessment. Once the student does not pass the spelling-sound or decoding portion of a section, stop. Place the student based on their spelling-sound or decoding score, and make note of the unknown sight words. Use the Results box on page 1 of the Placement Assessment to accurately place the student by SIPPS level and lesson.
Before beginning instruction in SIPPS, introduce the unknown sight words and provide instruction and review of those words. After ample time, start instruction and include the sight words in the review. This introduction or review process is important because the sight words are needed to access the student texts