Running Records

Developing Good Reading Behaviours In Young Children

When you feel confident with the recording method for RUNNING RECORDS, it is useful to analyse what information has been used by the child. Analyse both the errors and the self-corrections using the symbols M S V. Highlight the letter of the source of information that was used. Unhighlighted letters show the neglected cues.

You may want to draw attention to the fact that the child is attentive to only part of the word. Some teachers use a partial highlight to show which part the child has attended to:

   e.g.           dinosaur  m  s   v 
                  dragon

Others indicate with ticks and crosses, above V, whether attention was given to the initial (i), medial (in) or final (f) part of the word:

   e.g.          dinosaur  m  s   v 
                  dragon

                                                 E

   e.g.          Saturday| SC   m   s   v    m   s   v 

                   Sunday  |

Analyse the behaviour that occurred only up to the point of the error.Be aware that this analysis can only be your best guess. You cannot know for sure what the child is thinking. (It may be helpful to ask the child, on completion of the Running Record, why he said that word.)

Errors

M

refers to the meaning (semantics); is the child thinking about the meaning? ; does what he read make sense? ; does he refer to the illustrations? what is the extent of his background knowledge?

S

refers to the language structure (syntax): is what was read possible in an English sentence?; is it syntactically appropriate?; does he demonstrate that he has an understanding of our language? (e.g. has he substituted a noun for a noun?, a verb for a verb? etc.)

If this source of information has not been used, there could be two possible reasons:

1. The child’s language skills may be limited. His personal grammar may not contain the structures used in the book.

OR

2.  The child may be so caught up with word -by-word reading that he may not be allowing his control of English syntax to influence his decisions (i.e. his attention is focussed on other things.)

V

refers to visual cues, i.e. the use of visual information letters and words or print layout.

Self-corrections

Self-corrections are analysed twice: first as an error (remember, only analyse to the point of the error), then as a self-correction. Think about what extra information the child used when he realised he’d made an error and how he corrected it. Refer to OHT UR.8 (Early Years —P.D. for Teachers) for examples.

Using the Information

Analysis of Running Records will give you an indication of the sources of information that are being used and those that are being neglected. This information provides a focus when you next hear the child read.

Meaning Prompts:

You could say:

• Look at the picture; can you see something here that might help you?; what is happening here?; what do you think will happen next?
• You said ____________ Does that make sense?
• Read that again; what word would make sense here?
• Read on; does this give you any clues?

Structure (syntax) Prompts:

You could say:

• What word would sound right here?
• You said ___________Do we speak that way?
• Can we say it like that?
• Can we use the word like that in this sentence?
• Go back to the start of the sentence and try again. Think what might come next.
• Read on. Does this give you any clues ideas?

Visual Prompts

You could say:

• What does the word start with?
• Can you see any parts you know?
• You said __________ Look at what the word starts with.
• What, in the picture, would start like this word?
• Get your mouth ready. Start to say it.

Cross Checking

Cross checking is evident when a child indicates that he/she is not satisfied with his/her attempt e.g. pausing; re-reading; making a comment; looking at the illustration and giving another response. The emergence of this reading behaviour shows that he child is learning that one source of information can be checked against another.

To foster the development of this behaviour you could say:

• That makes sense, but does it look right? (Teacher may draw attention to a particular part of a word.) Check it.
• What would end like that and sound right?
• How did you know the word was _______________
• It could be……….. but look at ……. 
• Does it look right and sound right to you? Check it

In Conclusion

Praise successful attempts. “I liked the way you (e.g. looked at the end of the word to help work it out; read on; looked at the picture; sounded like you were talking) .... That’s what goods readers do.”

Ann Wise

References

Clay, M.1993, Observation Survey, Heinemann

Early Years — Professional Development For Teachers: Reading, 1997, Addison Wesley Longman

Early Years — Teaching Reading in the Classroom, 1997, Addison Wesley Longman

Reading for the Junior Classes, 1991, Learning Media, Ministry of Education, Wellington.

Richards, K., 1991, “Prompting”, Growing into Readers, PETA

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