BENCHMARK PASSAGES & RUNNING RECORDS
Find students' instructional levels by assessing their reading skills with developmentally appropriate texts while recording reading behavior. Benchmark Passages are short text selections that are one part of a three-part process to help place students at their instructional levels for leveled reading sessions and to assess their readiness to progress to the next level.
Digital Running Records on Raz-Plus
With our Online Running Record tool, Raz-Plus or Raz-Kids members can:
- Assign and listen to recordings of Benchmark Passages and Books.
- Score recordings using an online running record tool.
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Why Benchmark Passages
Benchmark Passages assess comprehension and reward students' progress from level to level. They are one part of a three-part process that provides a more complete assessment of reading behavior and comprehension than any of the parts independently.
- Each level has 2 fiction and 2 nonfiction passages.
- Each level has at least 1 fiction-nonfiction passage pair on the same topic.
- Each passage uses a level-appropriate percentage of words from leveled books at that reading level.
- aa-E = 100%
- F-J = 95% + 5% new words
- K-Z = 90% + 10% new words
- The text of the entire passage is used in the Running Record.
- Most are one page long, but upper level passages can be two pages.
- ALL are available on Raz-Plus.
How to Use Benchmark Passages
- Give a student a Benchmark Passage he or she has never seen before to read aloud. If you prefer to use familiar text, use the fiction-nonfiction topic pair at each level. Use one passage from the pair to support a student's understanding of the topic before assessing with the other passage.
- Record the student's reading behavior using the passage's Running Record form.
- If a student scores 90 percent, assess the student's comprehension using a Quick Check from Level A-Z and Retelling Rubrics.
- If a student scores from 90%-94% percent on the running record and answers comprehension questions at 80%-100%, he or she is at an instructional level. (For more details, see About Running Records).
- Use Benchmark WOWzers to reward students' progress from level to level.
Showing 4 of 116 Passages
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View level S features and chart
Level S
Features and Chart
- 13.5 words average per sentence
- 1,000–1,800 words total
- Full pages of text
- Text can wrap illustrations
- More complex sentences
- More specialized vocabulary
- Illustrations used to extend meaning
- Table of contents, captions, index, and glossary in nonfiction books
- Intermediate tables, charts, and graphs
- Can have breaks in dialogue
- Nonfiction topics aligned to state and national standards
- 16–20 pages
Flash Mobs!
Flash mobs are one-time group performances organized online and at short notice.
Nonfiction
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Assessment Passage
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Quick Check
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Running Record
The Hidden House
Stephanie wants to visit June, if she can find her house.
Fiction
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Assessment Passage
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Quick Check
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Running Record
The Field Day Flash Mob
A P. E. class creates a dance flash mob on field day.
Fiction
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Assessment Passage
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Quick Check
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Running Record
Unusual Homes
Some people choose to create homes of unusual design.
Nonfiction
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Assessment Passage
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Quick Check
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Running Record
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