Data are presented on the development of tests of reading skill for primary school pupils in
rural Tanzania. Instruction in these schools is in Kiswahili, a regularly spelled language. Using a
translation of a standard reading test, children can read aloud all words once they have learned the
sound– letter correspondences, regardless of comprehension. In addition, children can pass
traditional comprehension tasks by decoding only some of the words. Three graded tests were
developed to test children who had only some letter knowledge, could read single words, or were
proficient readers. The tests required children both to decode and to understand the reading
material in order to achieve high scores. The tests correlated well with scores on other
educational achievement tests and showed age and school grade differences. It is suggested that
these tests are useful measures of reading development in a regularly spelled language. Their
adaptation to English and validation against standardized instruments are planned.