Tip #1: If a student gets stuck on a word, wait 3 seconds and then tell the student the word. Circle the word as an error. This will also impact the student’s Rate and Tone score.

Tip #2: If a student repeats a word, it is not an error. But it will likely affect the student’s Rate and Tone score.

Tip #3: If a student reads a word incorrectly, it counts as an error. Circle the word. This will impact both the Rate and Tone score and likely some comprehension.

Tip #4: If a student adds a word that is not part of the passage, write the word in and count that as an error.

Tip #5: If a student reads a word incorrectly and then goes back to fix the word, it does not count as an error. It is called a self-correction. Put a next to the word. SC are great because it tells us that the student recognized the original word did not fit and it needed to be fixed to have the text make sense.

Tip #6: Time the student and document how low he/she takes to read the passage each time. Don’t be afraid to show the student the results. This is a great opportunity for a lesson on how rereading can improve our fluency!

Tip #7: For scoring the Rate and Tone, consider the flow of the reading by asking yourself the following questions;

• • • Did the reader repeat a lot of words or phrases?

    • Did the reader pause at commas and stop at periods? 

    • Were there many unnatural pauses and breaks?

    • Did the reader read too fast? Too slow?