Chelsea Mueller ELD 307: Professor Rich March 28, 2013 Miscue Analysis/Running Record A running record is done

in order to determine a students reading performance. By taking this test the teacher will be able to observe, record, and evaluate the changes in a students reading from kindergarten to upper grades. The particular test my student took allows the teacher to only evaluate him up to third grade level. After taking the test the teacher will be able to determine each students independent reading level and figure out what the child needs to learn next. Within this DRA (Developmental Reading Assessment) the students are required to answer questions. By answering questions this will allow the teachers to become aware of the students preferences, and if the student is passive about reading or if they have limited literacy experiences. Ultimately, the questions the student answers will also determine the childs reading comprehension. Therefore, the DRA is given in order to assess a students performance in reading, oral fluency, and comprehension, which will ultimately determine a students reading level. The student who was assessed for the running record is Nicolas. Nicolas is in the third grade in Mr. Joness class. Nicolas should be in second grade, but he is from New York and the cut off is different there. Nicolas was tested in the hallway with me and Mr. Jones. Mr. Jones picked level forty for Nicolas to be tested on so that I was able to see his comprehension level. Level forty is the highest level that the DRA goes up to and was not the level that Nicolas was placed on in the beginning of the year. In order to give the DRA a teacher needs to prepare. Make sure that you have the correct book for the chosen level along with the student and teacher worksheets. Both, worksheets should go along with the book. Put the teacher worksheet on the clipboard. The clipboard has a timer and a calculator built into the top of it which is used during testing. In this case, the student had a clipboard as well to lean on in order to answer the questions.

The book that was chosen was called A Journey to Freedom. This book is a historical fiction text and is set in the mid-1800s and touches on the subject the Underground Railroad. A Journey to Freedom is a level forty and it is recommended that the student is timed while reading. When listening to the reader it is important to listen to his expression and his attention to punctuation. Also, be sure to recognize what happens if he hits a point of difficulty. Before starting the process, Mr. Jones told Nicolas that he was taking this running record in order to help me learn how to give one. Then to begin the assessment, I said to the student In this story, A Journey to Freedom, Bess and her son, Jed, run away from their home in the South to escape slavery. Please read aloud to the star on page 3. To make sure he knew what the star meant I showed it to him on page three. Nicolas opened to the first page and began to read. I pressed start on the timer when he started. Once Nicolas got to page three I stopped the timer and recorded the time. Next I said to Nicolas, Follow the directions on the first page of your Student Booklet. After you have finished your predictions, come to me. While Nicolas completed the prediction page I filled out the Oral Reading teacher analysis and the Oral Reading Words per Minute, Percent of Accuracy chart. After Nicolas finished the prediction he came up to me and we started the next portion of the DRA. I said, Read the story. When you are finished, write a summary of what you have read and answer the remaining questions in the Student Booklet. If you have questions, please come to me. As soon as Nicolas finished the remaining questions in the student booklet he turned it in and continued with other work. Nicolas read the book at an independent pace which is great considering this book was at a higher level. He read 253 words in two minutes and three seconds, his WPM was 123. Nicolas also only had four miscues, none of which interfered with the meaning. When Nicolas realized he made a mistake he would re-read the word. Nicolas made omissions, insertions, and substitutions that were visually similar. For an example of a substitution, instead of saying expected Nicolas said excepted. An example

of an omission and an insertion was, the sentence said Where were they running to?. Nicolas said Where were they going? This did not change the meaning, therefore it did not cause him to think twice about this error. Since Nicolas only had four miscues, his accuracy is a 98% and this falls in the independent level as well. Nicolas is strong in oral reading fluency. He pauses in the correct spots and speaks with the correct tone based on the punctuation. He also reads at an independent level for words per minute and has a high accuracy. For reading engagement Nicolas is at an instructional level. Nicolas is still reading at a few levels below the appropriate grade level, which is about 38 to 40. He is only slightly off level and with help this should improve over time. For comprehension Nicolas is also at an instructional level. When making predictions and coming up with questions he can only make up 1-2 reasonable questions out of the 3 total. He also only gives a partial summary of the story with general language. It is clear from his writing that he may have only gotten some information and a partial understanding of the text. Lastly, his reflection on the story is general and is not significant. In order to help Nicolas I would do a few things. First, I would talk to him about reading and see how engaged he is. When reading with Nicolas or finding books for Nicolas to read independently, I would make sure that they are of his interest. By doing this, it will help Nicolas become more engaged and will help him increase his reading abilities. To help Nicolas with comprehension I would help Nicolas notice key points. I would have him look at titles in order to make predictions. He can also look at chapter titles and headings throughout the book. If he does not understand something I would tell him to first recheck what he read. If he still does not understand, review the words on the page and look up unfamiliar vocabulary. Then, if Nicolas still needs help I would help him, and then pick a lower leveled book. I would pick a lower leveled book to ensure that he comprehends the entire story not just bits and pieces. Lastly, I would help him write summaries and will encourage Nicolas to keep using his own words

but, he should include main points in the story. Nicolas will also be encouraged to look through the book when writing summaries until he feels comfortable writing a strong summary on his own. With this help in comprehension and reading Nicolas should become a stronger reader.