Score 4 Reading

Research supports the notion that (1) accuracy, (2) fluency, (3) comprehension, and (4) rate are the characteristics of skilled reading that should be assessed when determining reading competency (Snow, Burns, and Griffin; 1998).  Research also continues to confirm the need to use an assessment tool that pays attention to accuracy, fluency, comprehension, and rate (Armbruster and Osborn 2003; Heibert, E., 2002).  Running records fit this need (Clay 2001; Shea 2000).   

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 the assessor has chosen, knowing that at the end of the reading they 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.  

Accuracy is determined by the percentage of a passage that is correctly read.  This is important to both comfort and comprehension.  In order to be considered a proficient reader, the percentage of accuracy expected in the assessment portion of Score 4 Reading is set at a minimum of 98% (OR State Standards).  All miscues are counted and totaled.  This includes errors, self-corrections, and changes that work. 

Fluency, in the world of reading, has become synonymous with the musical term cadence.  In other words, fluency is the rhythm or the flow of the language that must sound natural, much like the talking or the speech pattern associated with each individual reader.  This includes voice inflection, intonation, and all of the nuances that make up a language.  Fluency is important to the ultimate goal of reading comprehension (Pressley 2002).  

Comprehension, at least at the literal level, must be the goal of the reader.  The ability to correctly call out words (accuracy) and even sound natural while doing so (fluency) is simply not enough.  Reading as a process of constructing meaning is of course the ultimate goal of reading (Au 2002; Tadlock, 2005). 

Rate is one of the variables to be taken into consideration when evaluating a reader’s growth.  Studies (Calvo and Carreiras 1993) have shown that readers who knew they were being timed tended to focus on how quickly they read to the detriment of applying syntactic rules, particularly punctuation marks.  Struggling readers who know they are being timed may suffer from test anxiety and researchers believe a focus on speed also negatively affects comprehension.  On the other hand, studies (Krischer, etal 1994) have demonstrated that words-per-minute should lie within a particular range depending upon the age and grade of the reader.  Reading within that range is important to being able to understand what one is reading, as well as being important to enjoying the reading process.  Consequently, the running record for this program takes rate into consideration when analyzing the tape recording as opposed to actively timing the reader. 

The Score 4 Reading scoring guide corresponds with this running record assessment included in the program materials.  It allows for a way to evaluate three of the four characteristics of skilled reading that has been discussed above.  Although the scoring guide does not address rate, the assessment tool and accompanying software does.  A running record assessment will quickly illustrate if the reader needs reading assistance.  Even though struggling readers already have some level of knowledge of all of the above skills, they are inappropriately integrating those skills.  It is that “wrong mix” that is causing the reading difficulties. 

The assessment passages included in the Score 4 Reading program have been grade-leveled using computerized readability statistics (Flesch Reading Ease & Flesch-kincaid Grade Level).  Score 4 Reading comes with a CD with an assessment software program that computes words-per-minute, accuracy percentage, and has scoring guide points for fluency and comprehension.  This software allows the assessor to input information about the initial and follow-up assessments and consequent Score 4 Reading sessions as well.  It also serves as a tracking and progress reporting system. 

Download a Sample Assessment Form - PDF