What is a running record?

What is a running record?

• A. An assessment of writing accuracy.
• B. A timed test of comprehension.
• C. An assessment method where the teacher follows along as a student reads, marking mistakes and counting correct words per minute.
• D. A questionnaire about reading preferences.

Answer: (C)

A running record is an informal assessment in which the teacher sits with the student as they read aloud, listening closely, marking any mistakes, and noting self-corrections. At the same time, the teacher counts how many words the student reads correctly per minute. This combination gives a clear picture of fluency and accuracy—how smoothly the student is decoding and blending sounds, and how quickly they can read with accuracy. Teachers use this information to track progress over time, choose texts at the right level, and plan targeted instruction to improve decoding, phrasing, and overall reading fluency. This isn’t about writing accuracy, so it doesn’t assess how well a student writes. It isn’t a timed test of comprehension, which would focus on understanding after reading rather than how the reading itself sounds and flows in real time. And it isn’t a questionnaire about reading preferences, which would reveal attitudes or tastes rather than reading performance.

A running record is an informal assessment in which the teacher sits with the student as they read aloud, listening closely, marking any mistakes, and noting self-corrections. At the same time, the teacher counts how many words the student reads correctly per minute. This combination gives a clear picture of fluency and accuracy—how smoothly the student is decoding and blending sounds, and how quickly they can read with accuracy. Teachers use this information to track progress over time, choose texts at the right level, and plan targeted instruction to improve decoding, phrasing, and overall reading fluency.

This isn’t about writing accuracy, so it doesn’t assess how well a student writes. It isn’t a timed test of comprehension, which would focus on understanding after reading rather than how the reading itself sounds and flows in real time. And it isn’t a questionnaire about reading preferences, which would reveal attitudes or tastes rather than reading performance.