A running record is a tool teachers use to check how well a child reads and understands words. When a teacher listens to a child read aloud, they write down any mistakes the child makes and how they try to fix them. This helps the teacher see how the child is using phonics (sounding out words), recognizing words by sight, and understanding what they read.
How a running record helps assess phonics skills:
Listening for Mistakes – The teacher notes when a child misreads a word, skips a word, or changes a word.
Checking How the Child Fixes Mistakes – If the child corrects themselves, the teacher looks at how they figured it out. Did they use letter sounds? Did they look at the whole word?
Finding Patterns – If a child struggles with certain sounds (like "ch" or "th") or vowel combinations (like "ea" in "beach"), the teacher can see what phonics rules they need to practice more. The teacher evaluates whether the student uses phonics rules (e.g., letter-sound relationships, blends, digraphs) to figure out unfamiliar words.
Adjusting Lessons – The teacher uses this information to help the child learn specific phonics skills, making reading easier over time.
How Running records are Administered:
Running records are scored by analyzing a child’s reading to assess accuracy, fluency, and comprehension.
Accuracy Rate: This is calculated by dividing the number of words read correctly by the total number of words, then multiplying by 100. This helps determine the level of the text for the reader (Independent, Instructional, or Frustrational).
Formula: (Total words – Errors) ÷ Total words × 100
Error Rate: This is the total number of errors compared to the number of words read.
Formula: Total words ÷ Errors
Self-Correction Rate: This measures how often a child corrects their own errors. A good self-correction rate indicates strong monitoring and problem-solving skills.
Formula: (Errors + Self-Corrections) ÷ Self-Corrections