Common Core Running Records

Hey there! Welcome to my blog! I am so excited about the blog I am following called Hello Literacy by Jennifer Jones.  Jones is a K-12 Reading Specialist who lives in North Carolina. So far I have enjoyed reading her blog.  It is full of a lot of examples of reading strategies that I have seen implemented in my third grade classroom this fall.  There is so much within the blog that I am excited to explore throughout the semester!

The first post I wanted to share was written on September 24, 2012.  It addressed common core running records which we learned over the summer in our Literacy class with Professor Groth.  The entry begins by discussing how running records look different across grade levels.  For example, K-2 you will see various check marks on the paper marking if the word is correct.  In the upper grades, 3-5, you will not see any check marks. On Wednesday I was able to observe my third grade teacher giving a fluency test to one of her students.  She used a running record and did not have any check marks.  I later found out this was because the students read  more fluently and quicker the older they get.  As Jennifer states in the blog it is almost impossible to keep up with all the words they get correct.  So by not placing a check mark after every correct word, the teacher is able to focus more on the self corrects and mistakes throughout the reading.  I really like running records and think they provide a lot of information about a child’s reading ability. 

One of the things I thought was cool was the running records app for the Ipad. It is called the Running Record Calculator App.  Jennifer talks about how the app allows you to keep track of the mistakes and record the calculations so you do not have to spend as much time entering or writing the information down.  Another cool aspect is you can also record the students so you can go back and listen if the student was unclear or reading too fast.  The Ipad is a great way to also integrate technology into literacy.  Since our society is so technology focused this is a great way to use our resources if we have an Ipad available.  It helps reduce time spent calculating what the student missed which allows more time for a teacher to meet with his or her students.  When I observed my teacher she was in a time crunch.  She wanted to get through all 22 of her students, but realistically she only got to 5 in one day.  Once she finished with a student she would calculate everything right after.  This took time that could have been spent listening to other students. 

Question: What do you think about the app? Would you use it in your classroom?