Running Records on the iPad!

Teachers do not have a lot of extra time to spare. We are always looking for more efficient ways of doing things. I recently discovered the amazing ability to take running records on the iPad. We know how important running records are for analyzing our students' reading abilities. Now you can complete them quickly, without wasting time calculating scores. And...you can reduce paper waste!

The app is called Record of Reading. It is published by Clemson University. Now for the best part...it is FREE! Even if you aren't sure if you can give up the paper and pencil quite yet, there is no harm in trying something that is free!

The app opens your standard running record form. You type in the basic information, such as the student's name, age, the title of the book, and the reading level.  You have the option of recording the child as they read for future reference. Then, you start the timer once the student begins reading.

As the student reads, you mark their errors and self-corrections. I chose to use a stylus, but you could also just use your finger. You then tap the column for either error or self-correction and mark whether it was meaning, syntax, or visual. (Since this is a higher level text, I did not use the check marks for every single word, but you certainly can make the checks.) When finished, you type in how many words the student read total. The app then calculates the students accuracy rate, self-correction rate, and words per minute. There is also a section to give a fluency score and write comments. Within the app, you save the running record and can send it to yourself as either a JPEG or pdf.

To add a comprehension component, I had my students write a summary of the text in their reader's notebooks. I scanned these summaries and merged them with the pdf of the running record. Maybe in the future, I can have students type on the computer. I just don't have enough computers right now!

Overall, this app cut down on a lot of calculation time. It also cut back on paper waste. My district is pushing very hard to reduce paper usage. I love using the app and would recommend it to anyone! (And, no! I wasn't paid for this post! :)

How have you used technology to save time and paper?