321 Learn!

There are book and resources available for teachers to complete a running record, but there is a simple way to keep a running record that takes no special materials other than  pencil and paper.

What is a Running Record?

A running record is a verbatim record of how a child reads aloud, including all mistakes and corrections.

Supplies to Take a Running Record:

• Stop watch (if you want to determine reading rate)
• Blank or lined paper (I prefer blank)
• pencil or pen (I prefer pencil)
• clip board (not required, but it makes it easier to hide notes from the child)
• Book or story for child to read a portion

How to Take a Running Record:

The point of a running record is to understand what mistakes a child makes when reading and find out where the child needs additional instruction. The school or county requirements may provide additional reasons including grades and other data points, but the bottom line is that a running record provides teachers with the necessary information for future instruction.

With this in mind, a simple dash or check mark will suffice for correctly read words. When the student misreads a word, there are a couple of ways to document this:

1. Write the word that the child said (spelled phonetically) with the correct word written underneath (draw a line separating the two like a fraction)
2. Simply write the phonetic word the child said. If you don’t have time to write the correct word, you can count correct words on your record later to go back and find the word later.
3. Write the correct word and make phonetic changes to it
4. For words that are started and repeated before completing the word, notate that as a mistake: S-/Sing-/sc (see below for notes on SC)

When the student inserts a word not in the text, use a carrot and write the added word.

When the student omits a word, there are a couple ways to notate it:

1. Write the correct word and cross it out
2. Write the correct word and put it in parenthesis
3. Write an x or a dash (something other than the correct word mark) to indicate a missing word

When a student self-corrects a mistake, put a slash next to the notation of the incorrect word and write the letters “SC”

When a student attempts a word several times there are a couple of ways to notate it:

1. If the word is correct and simply repeated, write the word and draw a squiggly line under it (squiggly line under squiggly line for multiple repeats)
2. If the word is incorrect and repeated several times the same way, use the same squiggly line
3. If the word is incorrect and repeated with changes, draw a separating line between each attempt and phonetically add each attempt. If the student ends with the correct word, add SC to the end.

Learn how to use running record data to determine student instructional reading level.

Related posts:

1. Using Running Record Data
2. Sample Reading Prompts
3. Teach Reading by Teaching Writing
4. SpellQuizzer, a Spelling Software
5. Understanding a Writing Disability: Dysgraphia