Test for Assessing Reading Level
Running Records are a tool for assessing a student's reading ability. While the student reads, the teacher reads along on another sheet of paper with identical text. A running record is useful to find out a student's independent and instructional reading level as well as determine what areas of reading the student needs guidance in.
Other People Are Reading
-
Identification
-
A running record is a short reading passage about 100 to 150 words. Students begin with a text one or two grade levels below the grade they are in. If students read more than 90 percent of the words correctly, they advance to the next level reading passage. That continues until the student reads below 90 percent accuracy, and then the previous grade level passage in which they scored higher than 90 percent accuracy is their instructional level text.
More about Identification
-
If students score below 90 percent on their first reading, have the student read one grade level below to read. If they still do not score 90 percent accuracy, have the student read grade levels below until they score 90 percent accuracy.
-
Scoring a Running Record
-
When the student reads the passage, every word said correctly is marked with a check above the word. If a student omits a word, adds an incorrect word, or substitutes one word for another, that word is incorrect and not counted. When a student completes the reading, the teacher counts up how many words the student said correctly.
Running Record Percentage
-
To find the Running Record Accuracy percentage, the teacher then divides the number of words said correctly by the total number of words in the passage (words correct + words incorrect) and multiply by 100. The answer is their Running Record score.
Independent, Instructional, and Frustration Reading Level
-
A score of 95 percent or more is the student's independent reading level, 90 percent to 95 percent is the instructional reading level and below 90 percent accuracy is the frustration level for the student.
-
