Use this reading conference form when observing your elementary students independent reading skills.
Reading Conference Observation Guide
Place a + before the skills or strategies the student demonstrates.
Place a - before the skills or strategies the student cannot or does not demonstrate.
Place an NA before the skills or strategies you did not assess during the conference.
Concepts of Print
- Student holds book and turns the pages the correct way.
- Student follows words with finger.
- Student points to words as he/she attempts to say them.
- Student makes up a story to go with the pictures in the book.
Student Comprehension
- Student answers teachers questions accurately.
- Student can retell story with main points and details.
- Student can retell characters and main events.
- Student adds his/her own perceptions and feelings of the book.
- Student can tell teacher about the story before reading aloud.
Student Fluency
- Student reads word by word.
- Student reads with expression.
- Student reads with intonation.
- Student spends a lot of time decoding words.
- Student recognizes and attempts to speak in character.
Word Recognition/Decoding
(Record examples for all of the following)- Student attempts to "sound out" the unknown word.
Example:
- Student attempts to "sound out" the unknown word using only the initial sound.
Example:
- Student attempts to "sound out" the unknown word using more than the initial sound.
Example:
- Student omits words when he/she comes to an unknown word.
Example:
- Student substitutes words for unknown words that are reasonable but incorrect.
Example:
- Student guesses words for unknown words.
Example:
- Student repeats words or phrases when reading.
Example:
- Student pauses when he/she comes to an unknown word then finally gets the word.
Example:
- Student asks the teacher for help when he/she comes to an unknown word.
Example:
- Student self-corrects.
Example:
Additional Strategies Used
- Student uses the pictures to help with reading.
- Student asks for help without attempting words independently.
- Student uses context clues to decode words.
- Student recognizes high frequency words.
- Student rereads to solve problems.
Attitude of the Reader
(Check one of the following)____ Confident
____ Dependent
____ Takes risks
____ Struggles
____ Non-reader
Book Choice
(check one of the following)____ Too easy
____ Just right
____ Too hard
Instructional Goals for Student
(Use this space to fill in student needs/goals)____________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________
