Oral Reading Record printable pdf download

Section VII

Oral Reading

Rationale

Oral reading provides a window for the listener to understand the integration of skills that the child

uses to read. Children who read accurately, quickly, and in phrased units, often do better on assess-

ments of reading, their attitudes toward reading are more positive, and they are more likely to read

for pleasure. Fluency plays an important role in becoming a good reader. We also know that the

integration of reading skills appropriate to the text level and genre, foster reading rates and accuracy

related to comprehension.

One way to assess fluency is to document in written form the child’s oral reading. By listening to,

documenting in written form, and observing a child read, teachers gather information about the

reading behaviors and cueing systems (meaning, structure, and visual) used by the student. In order

to establish instructional priorities for each child in the early stages of literacy development, the

teacher may use the Oral Reading assessment. This assessment helps teachers understand what

individual children know and use when reading aloud. Teachers’ observations are crucial and

critical factors informing their decisions about whom and when to assess.

Definition

Observing and creating a written record for a child reading orally is a way of recording fluency, rate,

accuracy, and the use of reading strategies. Fluency and rate are not the same but are related. Fluency

reflects the ability of the reader to read smoothly, which includes paying attention to punctuation,

grouping words into meaningful chunks, and using intonations that reflect appropriate meaning of

text. Rate refers to the speed of oral and/or silent reading as measured in words per minute. Reading

strategies include cues such as structure of language, meanings, and visual components.

Assessment Guidelines

Assess each child individually. The assessment area should be quiet and free from major distraction.

Sit at a small table where you can sit beside the child and where the child can have the book placed

on the table in front of her/him at a comfortable angle and distance. Sometimes many classroom

teachers take oral reading records in the classroom during small group time and/or during “drop

everything and read” time.

The Comprehension Assessment has been adapted for MLPP from the work of Dr. Dorsey Hammond of Oakland University, Ms.

Deanna Birdyshaw of CIERA, Dr. Scott Paris of University of Michigan, and Dr. Elizabeth Sulzby of University of Michigan.

MLPP Second Edition/2000

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Proof #8 5/09/01

Oral Reading Record