Teachers use running records as a quick assessment tool to evaluate students' reading and comprehension. They are used to help find students' reading levels, check their fluency, and find weaknesses in comprehension.
Running records are conducted one-to-one by the teacher with the student. The materials needed are:
- Various Leveled Books
- Running Record Forms - to keep track of miscues and errors
- Timer
- Pencil
- Calculator
As the child reads the text, the teacher follows along with a copy of the text or on a running record form (example above). Teachers note any errors, insertions etc.
The teacher will recognize if the text is TOO EASY or TOO DIFFICULT, in which case the session stops immediately. The student will need to be retested on a different level book.
If the student finishes reading the text, he can do a retell of the story or answer comprehension questions to help the teacher assess their comprehension.
Miscue Analysis : the teacher is assessing the errors made by the student
Types of Miscues | What they tell you |
Correction: During the oral reading, the child realizes he/she has made an error and re-reads the section/word without prompting. | Correction: This is good! We want readers to self-correct. However is the reader reading too fast? Is the reader mis-correcting accurate reading? If so, the reader often doesn't see himself as a 'good' reader. |
Insertion: As the child is reading, he/she will insert a word or two that isn't on the page | Insertion Does the inserted word detract from meaning? If not, it may just mean the reader is making sense but also inserts. The reader may also be reading too fast. If the insertion is something like using finished for finish, this should be addressed. |
| Omission: During the oral reading, the child leaves out a word(s.) | Omission: When words are omitted, it may mean weaker visual tracking. Determine if the meaning of the passage is affected or not. If not, omissions can also be the result of not focusing or reading too fast. It may also mean the sight vocabulary is weaker. |
Repetition: A child repeats a word or portion of the text. | Repetition Lots of repetition may mean that the text level is too difficult. Sometimes readers repeat when they're uncertain and will repeat the word(s) to make sense of the passage. |
Reversal: A child will reverse the order of the print or the word. | Reversal: Watch for altered meaning. Many reversals happen with young readers with high frequency words - of for for etc. |
Substitution: Instead of reading a specific word, the child inserts a different word. info about miscues from Sue Watson | Substitutions: Sometimes a child will use a substitution because they don't understand the word being read. Does the substitution make sense in the passage, is it a logical substitution? |
