LEARNS Literacy Assessment Profile (LLAP)

LLAP Bullet

Produced by LEARNS Bank Street College of Education

LEARNS Literacy Assessment Profile


Drawing from a variety of national literacy assessments, LLAP was created by the LEARNS partners at Bank Street College of Education in collaboration with the Corporation for National and Community Service. LLAP provides an assessment option for reading efforts that use volunteers, including America Reads projects. LLAP also gives project directors data that can be aggregated for program evaluation and reporting purposes.

Effective assessment reveals children’s strengths as well as areas that need support. Using LLAP enables tutors to observe what children can do, and makes connections between tutoring activities and assessment of progress. As a result, LLAP can also help tutors design sessions that will meet the learning needs of individual children.

LLAP is not a reading test. Instead, it is an observation tool. LLAP addresses three stages of literacy development: emergent, beginning, and early independent. These stages are not age or grade specific, but instead describe behaviors children exhibit as they learn to read.

The following PDF files of LLAP comes complete with step-by-step instructions for how to use the instrument and how to aggregate the data. LEARNS staff are also available to answer questions or guide you through the tool. Simply click on the Continue button to download the files or contact a LEARNS partner via our toll-free numbers if you have a question, a concern, or any feedback.  You can also learn more about how to use LLAP at LEARNS training events.  Call for updated information on trainings near you, 800-361-7890 or 800-930-5664.

For ease of printing, we've created five separate sections. We recommend printing them all for a complete copy of this tool.

LLAP Cover (PDF) - If you want the cover and acknowledgements, download this file.

Using LLAP (PDF) - Here you'll find step-by-step instructions for using LLAP in your program as well as information on how to aggregate the data.

The following three documents contain the forms for each stage of literacy development: emergent, beginning, and middle.

Record Keeping Form (PDF) - This generic form helps tutors plan and record session activities and observations. LEARNS staff are available to answer questions or guide you through the tool. Contact a LEARNS partner via our toll-free numbers if you have a question, a concern, or any feedback:

  • LEARNS at the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory, 800-361-7890
  • LEARNS at the Bank Street College of Education, 800-930-5664