Below is a sample of a marked Assessment Story.
In order to collect accurate data from a running record, it is a good idea to tape record the assessment. The reader will read a passage you have chosen, knowing that at the end of the reading you will expect to hear a retell. The assessor then listens to and analyzes the recording; marking errors, self-corrections, and changes that work (accuracy). In addition, the assessor marks pauses, repetitions, and unnatural sounding reading (fluency). Because all of this has been recorded, the assessor can easily recheck the comprehension (the depth of the retell), and the markings for accuracy and fluency. Knowing how fast or slow a reader is reading (rate) is also important information. The recording allows the assessor to compute the rate without the reader having to focus on how fast or how slow he or she was reading.
