Running Record Reveals a Decoding Pattern, Not a Comprehension Deficit
Mr. Alvarez listens to a 2nd grader, Denise, read a 100-word leveled passage aloud. She reads 94 words correctly but makes 6 errors, all on multisyllabic words ending in -ed and -ing ("jumped" read as "jump," "running" read as "run," "started" as "start"). After reading, she retells the passage accurately, naming characters, setting, and the problem, and answers three inferential questions correctly. Mr. Alvarez's team is considering placing her in the lowest reading group based on her oral reading fluency score, which falls below the benchmark of 60 correct words per minute for the winter of 2nd grade. Denise reads 94 correct words per minute.
1. Should Denise be placed in the intensive intervention group? Justify using her data.
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No. Denise's accuracy is high (94/100 = 94%, above the 95% instructional-level target only slightly below, but her comprehension is strong). Her comprehension is intact-accurate retell plus correct inferential responses. Her fluency rate of 94 wpm actually exceeds the stated winter benchmark of 60 wpm, so the team's premise is factually wrong. The only real need is a word-analysis skill: inflectional endings (-ed, -ing) on multisyllabic words. This is a targeted decoding need, not a comprehension or global reading deficit. Placement in the lowest group would be a misallocation driven by a misread of the data.
2. Design a 10-minute daily instructional routine matched to the identified need.
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A focused word-study routine, not a comprehension intervention:
- Review (2 min): Sort word cards into base-word + ending columns (jump/jumped, run/running).
- Explicit modeling (2 min): Teacher models reading a multisyllabic word with an ending, chunking (start-ed, jump-ing), and explains that the ending adds meaning (past/ongoing action).
- Guided practice (4 min): Denise reads a list of 8–10 words with -ed/-ing, including irregulars (ran, went) contrasted with regular forms; teacher corrects immediately.
- Connected text (2 min): Denise reads 3–4 sentences containing target words and self-corrects.
Progress monitor weekly with a brief word-list check; if accuracy on endings reaches 90% across two checks, fade to biweekly and return to grade-level comprehension instruction.