Timetable for Learning, Taking, and Using Running Records

Start the second week of school, after building a comfortable tone.

While you work with individual students, other children are:

• working at centers.

• working independently (i.e. on projects).

• reading silently.

• writing in journals or on other pieces of writing

Follow this suggested schedule to ease into the process of taking RRs, allowing a comfortable time to learn the procedure and build confidence using it. The timetable is based on a class size of 20 students, but can be adjusted for a higher or lower number.

Week in School Year / Activity
Week 1-2 / Help students learn to work independently at centers. Establish classroom routines so you’ll have uninterrupted time to take RRs.
Week 3 / Listen to a child read and retell a text selection. Take anecdotal notes on the performance. Work with one child at a time — one per day. (5 completed)
Week 4 / Same as week 3 (5 more completed)
Week 5 / Same as week 3 (5 more completed)
Week 6 / Listen to a child read and retell a text selection. Take anecdotal notes on the performance. Work with one child at a time — two per day. (10 completed)
Week 7 / Practice using the marking system while the child reads orally. Take anecdotal notes on the retelling. Work with one child at a time — one per day. Check your work by listening to a tape recording of the session. (5 completed)
Week 8 / Practice using the marking system while the child reads orally. Take anecdotal notes on the retelling. Work with one child at a time — two per day. Check your work by listening to a tape recording of the session. (10 completed)
Week 9 / Practice using the marking system while the child reads orally. Take anecdotal notes on the retelling. Work with one child at a time — two per day. Check your work by listening to a tape recording of the session. (10 completed)
Week 10 / Use the rich information on children’s literacy development for quarterly reports to parents.
Week 11 / Introduce the retelling checklists. Model their use in retelling. Have students evaluate the teacher’s retelling. Have students practice retelling with peers.
Week 12 / Do a complete RR. Tape the session. Work with one child at a time — one per day. Compliment the reader, make a teaching point, and collaboratively set a goal. After the session, in the absence of the reader, score oral reading, fluency, retelling, and miscues. (5 completed)
Week 13 / Do a complete RR. Tape the session. Work with one child at a time — one per day. Compliment the reader, make a teaching point, and collaboratively set a goal. After the session, in the absence of the reader, score oral reading, fluency, retelling, and miscues. (5 completed)
Week 14 / Do a complete RR. Tape the session. Work with one child at a time — one per day. Compliment the reader, make a teaching point, and collaboratively set a goal. After the session, in the absence of the reader, score oral reading, fluency, retelling, and miscues. (5 completed)
Week 15 / Do a complete RR. Tape the session. Work with one child at a time — two per day. Compliment the reader, make a teaching point, and collaboratively set a goal. After the session, in the absence of the reader, score oral reading, fluency, retelling, and miscues. (10completed)

The 15-week cycle can be repeated at the end of the year for benchmarking all readers in the class. In between cycles, take RR with individual students whenever it seems necessary to take a pulse on their progress.