Why this helps
Monitoring students’ reading progress ensures that their reading materials match their skill level, supporting growth without causing frustration.
For students with poor reading comprehension, using appropriate texts and regular assessments helps identify areas of difficulty and track improvement. This targeted approach ensures they are given the best opportunity to build confidence and fluency in their reading skills. To improve progress, we recommend running records.
Expected outcomes
Improved accuracy, fluency, and comprehension as students read at their appropriate level. Reduced frustration and increased confidence as students experience success in their reading practice. A clearer understanding of each student’s needs, enabling better-targeted interventions.
Which to choose?
Fountas & Pinnell Benchmark Assessment System
This widely recognised system provides levelled texts to assess fluency, accuracy, and comprehension. It is particularly detailed, offering clear guidelines on interpreting results and planning next steps.
PM Benchmark Kit
Commonly used in UK schools, this system offers a structured approach to running records with texts graded by reading level. It provides useful resources to track progress and determine whether texts are at the right difficulty for each student.
Making your own
Select a Text
Choose a passage of approximately 100–150 words for younger readers and 200–300 words for older readers.
Ensure the text aligns with the student’s expected reading level and current curriculum content.
Use texts from class materials to make the assessment relevant and accessible.
Prepare the Record Sheet
Include a copy of the text with wide margins for annotations.
Add spaces to note errors (e.g., substitutions, omissions, and insertions) and self-corrections.
Create sections for fluency, expression, and comprehension observations.
Administer the Running Record
Sit one-on-one with the student in a quiet setting.
Ask the student to read aloud while you follow the text on your record sheet.
Mark errors, self-corrections, and pauses as the student reads.
Analyse Results
Calculate the accuracy rate:
(TotalWords−Errors)÷TotalWords×100(Total Words - Errors) ÷ Total Words × 100(TotalWords−Errors)÷TotalWords×10095% or above: Text is easy for the student.
90–94%: Text is at an instructional level.
Below 90%: Text is too challenging.
Look for patterns in errors (e.g., struggles with specific word types or decoding).
Note fluency, self-corrections, and overall comprehension.
Align with Quality First Teaching
Use insights to inform whole-class teaching strategies. For instance, if multiple students struggle with decoding multisyllabic words, integrate phonics lessons targeting this skill into your teaching.
Plan interventions for small groups or individuals based on common challenges.
Share results with students to set personalised reading goals.
For schools with a wider range of ability
The Reading Recovery approach is designed for early readers struggling significantly with literacy. It offers targeted one-on-one intervention, including specialised running records to identify and address challenges. These records are more detailed, providing deeper insights into a student’s decoding and fluency issues. This is a strong option for schools supporting a wide range of reading abilities.
For older readers
For older students, running records should assess more advanced skills, such as comprehension of complex texts, fluency in subject-specific vocabulary, and expressive reading. Here are some options:
Literacy Assessment Toolkit (Upper KS2 and KS3)
This toolkit includes passages suited for older students, focusing on fluency and comprehension of age-appropriate, complex texts.
Fountas & Pinnell Upper-Level Texts
Their system extends into texts designed for older readers, offering advanced passages that address higher-level comprehension skills.
Curriculum-Based Running Records
Create customised records using excerpts from subject-specific texts (e.g., history or science textbooks) to evaluate reading within content areas.
Renaissance STAR Reading Diagnostic
Though not a traditional running record, it assesses fluency and comprehension for secondary students, making it a useful supplementary tool.