Assessment: Running Records

October 12, 2010

Today, during the student's Literacy Workshop period, the teacher was administering the Running Records assessment to individual students. She asked me if I would like to observe the student reading and the teacher assessing her. The school had just been given Palm Pilots to carry out the Running Records. I thought this was really neat. I have only been introduced to the paper/pencil version. It was so cool how the teacher was able to assess the students on the Palm Pilot. My teacher told me it was so much faster and easier. I witnessed two children being assessed. One was average and the other was below grade level. My teacher told me that she is only able to assess about one student every day. She assessed two today because she wanted me to be able to observe more.

In class, we spent time discussing different ways to assess student performance. Running Records is one type of assessment. We talked about how Running Records help make decisions regarding the level of text used by the teacher and student. Running Records also allow teachers to gain an insight into the types of strategies the student uses when reading. I hadn't really planned on being able to observe the teacher administering this type of assessment because they are so time consuming. In class, we also filled out an assessment chart, reporting advantages and disadvantages. We talked about how one disadvantage was that students can get nervous when reading. I noticed this observing the two students in her class. They would both read a couple pages and then look at the teacher as well as me. It was very evident that the children were nervous.

I was really appreciative of the teacher for allowing me to observe this. I know that for another one of my courses, I am required to complete a Running Record with a student. This was very helpful to watch my teacher administer one first. My teacher then talked to me afterwards about the assessment. She asked if I had any questions and also gave me some pointers on how to make it easier. I really liked how the teacher was able to use a Palm Pilot. I feel like it would definitely take some training to figure out how everything operates, but I think it would be very helpful.


Blank Running Record Form