1. Running Records Ana Coca Fort Worth ISD
Welcome the participants and explain that doing running records in the classroom will support the implementation of the literacy framework. The Running Record is a notation system developed by Marie Clay. It is an effective method to evaluate and monitor student reading behaviors and if used school wide, it is a great way to share information from teacher to teacher as students move throughout the grade levels.

2. Agenda What are running records? Cueing Systems
Running Records Marking System
Reading Accuracy
Fluency Rates
Comprehension
Running Records in Action
Practice

3. Why Running Records?
A running record is a powerful tool for recording student reading behavior. A running record helps the teacher and the student choose “just right books” that will help the reader develop appropriate strategies. Running records guide teaching and learning.
Student reading behavior is more than just accuracy and fluency, it involves a 3 cue system that will be discussed in the session.
“Just right books” are critical to the grouping of students. Using running records will help the teacher determine what books to use with a student.
The running record analysis will help the teacher plan instruction for students and make the most of differentiation. The record will also help the teacher and the student to find the “right fit” books for the book boxes and independent reading practice.

4. Three Reading cue systems
Structure
(Syntactic Cue System)
Does it sound right?
Visual
(Graphophonic Cue System)
Does it look right?
Meaning
(Semantic Cue System)
Does it make sense?
Structure – grammatical patterns and language structures. The structure of a complex sentence may be difficult for an early reader, but the student may use the structure cueing system to make the sentence make sense. For example: The text may say The children and their teacher walked slowly down the long, narrow hall and arrived just on time. The student might read- The children and the teacher walk slow down the long hall and got to lunch on time. This shows comprehension even though the accuracy is not 100%.
To read and comprehend connected text a child must use a variety of skills held in a delicate balance.
Visual – Print Conventions---Directionality, Words/Spaces, Letters, Beginning/Ending, Punctuation – Sounds and symbols The teacher will look for the students use of visual cues. A student may use the initial sound to read the word without looking through the word. For example, a student may read should when the word is shore. This would interfere with comprehension )
Meaning – Story sense, Prior knowledge, Text, Illustrations Sometimes student use the incorrect word, but the meaning is not changed. For example, the text may say mother and the student says mama. This type of error usually does not interfere with comprehension.

5. Finding and using instructional level text
Step # 1: Take a Running Record Step # 2: Find an appropriate Level Text Step# 3: Begin Instruction – adjust as needed
Take the running record – The teacher has a copy and the student has a copy or uses the book from the leveled readers if using Senderos. The student copy should have larger print and no other marking such as work count.
After the running record is taken the teacher analyzes the record to determine accuracy, fluency, and comprehension and finds the appropriate level text.
Instruction begins with appropriate text. Use instructional level for differentiation and independent level for read to self.

6. Taking a Running Record
Symbols for Marking Miscues
( Handout)
Go over each of the markings and discuss whether they are counted as an error or not. Have teachers turn and talk about using this marking system and how using this detail will benefit them when working with students. Have teachers share out. They should point out that a running record done with this detail will help them understand the reading behaviors of the students and the students’ use of the reading cue system – helping them determine what specific instruction is need during differentiated reading time.

7. All teachers will spend 2 minutes with colleague and review the running record analysis in Spanish.
Each teacher will have a copy of the running records in Spanish.

8. Calculating accuracy
# words correct ÷ # total words = Accuracy Example: 125 WRC ÷ 137 TW= % which is Instructional Level
95-100%
Independent
Appropriate for Independent Reading
90-94% Instructional
Appropriate for Guided Reading
89% & below
Frustrational
Appropriate for Shared Reading and Reading to Student
Discuss each level
Independent – Easy
Instructional – With teacher
Frustrational - not appropriate unless student is being read to

9. Appropriate text Level
If accuracy is below 90%
If accuracy is 90-94%
If accuracy is %
If not
Fluent, drop down
If fluent, keep level
Our reason for finding an instructional text level is to match text and instruction to the individual needs of the students. This is not an exact science, but it is a good estimated starting point for differentiated reading instruction. Independent reading should be done at the independent reading level of % accuracy. The purpose of the chart is to find the instructional level text to use with small group instruction. This also helps the teacher record progress over time. It is good to use for progress monitoring of the Tier 2 and Tier 3 students.
Drop down a level and take RR
Move up a level and take a RR

10. Fluency Rate
Words Correct Per Minute (WCPM) # of words - # of errors = # words correct per minute Example: 80 words read in a minute – 15 errors = 65 WCPM Reading an Entire Story # of words read correctly X 60 ÷ # of seconds it took to read whole story = fluency rate Example: 94 words read X 60= ÷ 102 seconds to read = 55 fluency rate
Finding a fluency rate in kinder and early first grade is not necessary or appropriate. If determining a fluency rate use either method, however, if the student is not reading enough of the story in one minute you cannot assess the comprehension. For this reason, a calculated rate from the entire story would be most appropriate, or you can mark where the student is at 60 seconds and allow him/her to continue reading to complete the selection. Following the reading you can then count the words read correctly in 1 minute.

11. Measuring comprehension
Retelling the Story
Checklist
Can the student tell you what happened in the story?
Can the student include details about the characters in the retelling?
Can the student describe the setting? How detailed is the description?
Can the student recall the events of the story and place them in correct order?
Can the student identify the problem and solution?
Does the student use vocabulary from the text?
Does the student’s retelling demonstrate minimal, adequate, or very complete detail of the text?
After the student reads the story, have the student close the book and retell the story in as much detail as possible. If the student has trouble with the retelling, prompt the student with “Tell me more about (character or setting), “What happened after…” Analyze the information the child gives you about the characters, setting, main idea, sequence of events, problem, solution, and use of text specific vocabulary. You may want to use the running record sheet to record the specific words that the student uses in the retelling.

12. Observations and Analysis
Did the student use meaning, structure, and visual cues to identify words or make meaning of the text?
Did the errors the student made make sense with the text or sound close to “right”?
Did the student attempt to self- correct?
Did the student attempt words without asking for help?
How fluent was the reading? Was the student just “word calling”?
Were there pauses? How long were the pauses?
Discuss each of the questions when talking about how to analyze the results of the reading. This is beyond getting the accuracy and fluency rate. These questions help the teacher analyze the reading behaviors of the student and will help the teacher meet the needs of the student during small group instruction. Handout – Error Analysis Chart can be used. This also has strategies for addressing miscues.

13. Finding leveled text
In Your Reading Street/Calle de la lectura All leveled readings in your series include a lesson plan for instruction with a RR on the back. In Your Literacy Library Some schools have great libraries with leveled books in Spanish and English. In the EDL/DRA Kit Many schools are administering the EDL/DRA as part to their assessments for BOY, MOY, and EOY. These texts can be used for RR throughout the year.
The source that all teachers should have Calle de la lectura/Reading Street leveled books.  If they need a lower level, they can ask another grade level for a book and the running record to copy.  Making the copies ahead of time and using a filing system for each level will help with organization and help make the process easier and smoother. If you use a book from the literacy library, you will have to prepare a record for yourself before the student reads.  

14. Calle de la lectura/Reading Street adoption include the Blackline Masters.  The back page of the blackline masters include the running record in Spanish.
Inside  the Blackline Master also includes Comprehension questions.  The level of  comprehension questions are indicated on the black line  master.
I will use an original  (hard copy) black line master to show teachers where they can located their comprehension questions.

15. Running records in action
Demonstrate running records with student from Ms. Avila’s class.
Discuss teacher moves that were noticed and how they benefit the process.

16. Let’s practice
After modeling with actual student demonstrating running record, we will analyze the students reading using the miscue analysis.

17. What will you do next? Turn and Talk
Next Steps
What will you do next? Turn and Talk
Use running records to find the appropriate text to use with your small groups and for the students’ book boxes.