Guided Reading Lesson Plan Template

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C H A P T E R 1
A
R
G
ssessing
eading
rowth
W
R
R
ith
unning
ecords
“Yet a funny thing happens on the way to those final
assessments: day-to-day learning takes place. I am
certain that, in education, evaluation needs to pay more
attention to the systematic observation of learners who
are on their way to those final assessments.”
(Clay, 1987, p. 1)
S
tep-by-step assessment of children’s learning can be the stitch in time
that makes the difference for young readers. As I watch my students
day to day and throughout the year, they reveal their understanding in
words and performances. By documenting facts that accumulate and
strengths that emerge, I can integrate what I learn to create a complete pic-
ture of each child’s level of competence as the year progresses. Reflecting
on this knowledge, I can direct my teaching to give appropriate support in
a timely way—to plan lessons to reteach, reinforce, or extend learning. I
can adjust the sequence of instruction to take advantage of teachable
moments that increase the children’s motivation and the likelihood that
they will be successful learners.
The methods and purpose of such ongoing, classroom-based assessment
differ notably from the external, standardized tests schools traditionally
depend on to confirm literacy growth. Those tests yield information for
curriculum development. They identify strengths and weaknesses in a dis-
trict’s program when grade and school scores are compared to regional,
state, and national norms. They also identify where a child stands in
comparison to other students and generate reference points for a child’s
academic growth in core curricular areas over an extended period of time.
However, when such norm-referenced scores are used to examine an indi-
Taking Running Records Scholastic Professional Books
9

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