A Running Record (or modified error analysis) is when a student reads aloud and the teacher records each error made in a duplicate copy of the text. It is an important evaluation tool for several reasons:

  • First, it allows the teacher to identify an appropriate reading level for the student.
  • Second, it reveals how well a student is self-monitoring their reading.
  • Finally, identify what reading strategies a student uses (or does not use).

Running Records enables teachers to run a differentiated, assessment-driven program that focuses on the specific needs of their students.

WHAT ARE RECORDS IN EXECUTION?

Error analysis

  • Mistakes are more than just “oral reading mistakes,” but a way of understanding children’s existing reading strategies and helping students learn new, more effective strategies.

Execution of records

  • A Running Record is a simplification for the teacher to run an error analysis in the busy reality of the classroom (Clay, 1985). PM Benchmarks is an example of a commercial resource that offers a graduated text reading program for use in executing records. Although designed and used primarily with young children, an ongoing record can provide important information for the intermediate level teacher.

Informal Reading Inventories

  • Robb (2000) argues that performance logs are appropriate for students “who are in the emerging and early stages of reading” or read with little fluency, but recommends using a reading inventory to complete a modified error analysis of oral reading of intermediate students.
  • Informal reading inventories are similar to running records. They consist of lists of graded words (to determine visual vocabulary – Word recognition) and graded passages of history (to determine literal and inferential comprehension – Comprehension).

Informal reading inventories are typically given to all students in the fall and again in the spring if possible to note growth and change (Cohen & Wiener, 2003). In comparison, Running Records are more frequently administered to guide instruction.

WHY WE USE THIS TOOL (THEORETICAL BACKGROUND)

The psychologist Lev Vygotsky (Mind in Society, 1978) coined the term “zone of proximal development” as the level of difficulty between what a student can do independently and what he can do with support.

  • Students who work below the zone will not learn as much because the work is too easy.
  • Students working above the zone will not benefit as much because the text is too difficult. “When the text is too difficult, understanding is simply impossible.” (Fountas and Pinnell, 1996b, p156)
  • Students working in the zone will experience the most growth because they are working at the forefront of their learning zone. (Au, Carroll and Scheu, 1997)

The goal is for students to read in area. A running log / error analysis allows us to identify at what level students are reading so that students read the correct texts.

THIS HOW THE TOOL HELPS WITH INSTRUCTIONAL DECISIONS

Running Records allows teachers to make data-driven decisions to guide whole class instruction (using modeled or shared reading), small group instruction (guided reading), and to ensure students are reading challenging texts appropriately during instruction. independent reading. and differentiated program:

  1. Identify any particular difficulties a student may have. (Assessment for learning)
  2. Help to create homogeneous guided reading groups. (Differentiated instruction)
  3. Monitor a student’s progress.
  4. Allow different students to move at different speeds. (Differentiated growth)
  5. Provides assessment and evaluation data for reporting purposes.

HOW WE USE THIS TOOL

Both the teacher and the student have a copy of a leveled text. As the student reads aloud, the teacher takes notes on his copy of the text. Each error is logged and a standardized set of conventions is used to record errors. Questions are usually asked last to measure understanding. An error analysis should take about 10 minutes. (See the appendix for instructions.)

Text samples are typically 100-200 words long. It is suggested that a student read from several different levels of texts: an easy text (95-100% correct), an instructional text (90-94% correct), and a hard text (80-89% correct). These three samples can provide information on students’ strengths (using easier texts) and weaknesses (using more difficult texts) (Clay, 1985).

ANALYSIS

An error analysis can determine the level of text that the student should read, if he / she is self-controlled when reading, and the type of decoding strategies that he / she uses.

1. Identify an appropriate reading level (Accuracy Rate)

2. Identify how well a student is monitoring himself while reading (Self-correction rate)

3. Identify what reading strategies a student uses (or does not use)

CHALLENGES FACED IN CLASSROOM IMPLEMENTATION

  • The challenge in the intermediate level classroom is to buy time during the literacy block to do a continuous log / error analysis. Students need to be trained to do other things to buy time for the teacher to do error analysis or guided reading groups.
  • A bigger challenge is finding resources that can be used at the intermediate level. PM benchmarks can be used for students who are significantly below grade level, however teachers may end up making their own running record texts by selecting 100-200 words from a leveled text. Finding high-level texts of interest to intermediate learners is challenging.
  • Finally, there is a learning curve associated with the use of this assessment tool. Accuracy in error detection will improve over time. Clay notes that “as your ears tune into reading behaviors and gain control over recording conventions, your records will become more and more reliable.” (Clay 1993, p.24 cited in Cohen & Wiener, 2003, p 127)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *