Running Records

I use running records as a formal and informal assessment in my daily classroom activities. The district provides DRA kits that are used to formally assess students at the end of each quarter. I use my own running records or running records that come with the bookroom books (I have found many guided reading books come with running record sheets) during centers and guided reading in order to informally gauge the progress my students are making, to help assess which reading strategies the students are using as they read (and which strategies I need to teach and reteach), and to make sure I am providing texts aimed at a student's level (both independent and instructional). I am also very fortunate to have a dedicated literacy coach at my school, who offers us support in administering everything from running records to interactive writing lessons. Running records are one of the assessment tools I feel the district gets right....it is developmentally appropriate and is used to guide instruction rather than to serve as an endpoint or "grade". In fact, the students may not even notice that I am administering one.