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How to Take a Running Record
Everything you need to record, mark and score a child's oral reading, from choosing the book to the final numbers.
What a running record is
A running record is a quick, one-to-one check of a child's oral reading. The child reads a short text aloud while you mark every word on a sheet using standard codes. Afterwards you work out accuracy, the self-correction ratio, and which cues the child used for each error.
Before you start
- Pick the text. Choose a book at the level you think the child can read with some support, with at least 100 running words.
- Seen or unseen. A text the child has read once before shows how they handle familiar reading. An unseen text tells you more for placement. Note which you used.
- Get your sheet ready. A blank sheet works, with one line of ticks for each line of print, or use a printed form with the text on it.
Taking the record, step by step
- Sit beside the child, not opposite, so you can see the page.
- Ask them to read aloud and explain that you will be writing while they read.
- Mark every word as it is read, using the codes below. Do not teach or prompt during the record.
- If the child stops on a word, wait a few seconds, then tell them the word and mark T.
- When they finish, ask for a retell or a few questions to check understanding.
- Score the record straight away while you still remember what you heard.
Running record marking codes
| Behaviour | How to mark it | Counts as an error? |
|---|---|---|
| Word read correctly | A tick for the word | No |
| Substitution | Write what the child said above the text word | Yes |
| Omission | A dash above the missed word | Yes |
| Insertion | Write the added word above a dash | Yes, in most guidance |
| Told word | T beside the word | Yes |
| Appeal for help | A above the word | Only if you then tell the word |
| Repetition | R, with an arrow back to where the repeat began | No |
| Self-correction | SC after the corrected word | No |
Codes follow the Louisiana Department of Education running record handout. Schools vary slightly, especially on insertions, so follow your own program if it differs.
Scoring rules that trip people up
- A skipped line: every word in the line counts as an error.
- A skipped page: do not count errors. Subtract that page's words from the running words instead.
- Proper nouns: a name read wrongly counts as one error, however many times it appears. Other words count every time.
- Accent and dialect: consistent pronunciation differences are not errors.
Worked example
A child reads a 120-word book. You count 8 errors and 2 self-corrections.
- Accuracy: (120 − 8) ÷ 120 × 100 = 93.3%, which is instructional level
- Self-correction ratio: (8 + 2) ÷ 2 = 5, written as 1:5
The book is a good fit for guided reading. A 1:5 ratio suggests the child is catching some errors but missing many, so prompting for self-monitoring is a sensible next step. See accuracy levels and the self-correction ratio guide for how to read each number.
After scoring: look at the errors
The numbers tell you whether the book fits. The errors tell you what to teach. Go back through each one and ask what the child was paying attention to. That process is called MSV miscue analysis.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a running record passage be?
Aim for at least 100 running words. A very short text makes each error count for too much, so one slip can move a child from instructional to frustration level.
Is an insertion an error on a running record?
Yes, in most running record guidance an inserted word counts as an error. This is different from fluency probes such as WCPM, where insertions are usually ignored. Check your own program's rules.
What does T mean on a running record?
T means the teacher told the child the word. It counts as an error.
What does A mean on a running record?
A marks an appeal, when the child asks for help. If you then tell the word, mark T as well and count it as an error.
How often should I take running records?
Many teachers take them every one to two weeks for readers who need extra support and every few weeks for others. Use them most when you are deciding whether to change a child's text level.
More guides
- How to Calculate WCPM Step-by-step scoring for a timed fluency read, with error rules and grade-level norms.
- Running Record Accuracy Levels What independent, instructional and frustration levels mean, plus an error-rate conversion chart.
- Self-Correction Ratio Explained How to work out the SC ratio, what a good ratio looks like, and prompts that build self-monitoring.
- Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level Explained Where the formula comes from, how to calculate it by hand, and what it cannot tell you.
- MSV Miscue Analysis Coding errors for meaning, structure and visual cues, and what the patterns tell you to teach.
- Average Reading Speed by Grade and Age Oral reading fluency norms for Grades 1 to 6 and adult reading speeds, in one place.