Assessing Reading with Rally Reader

Teaching reading is a large undertaking in the classroom. Not only is reading instruction massively important, it is also a long and complicated process. Teachers support students through every step of learning, aiding them in building lifelong skill sets. 

Rally Reader seeks to support teachers by being an informal assessment tool and personalized database. When students read aloud to Rally, Rally records their session, allowing teachers to listen back to students as they read. In doing this, Rally collects an informal running record and tracks the reader’s fluency and accuracy. These reading sessions are saved to a student’s profile and are accessible by their teacher at any time. These sessions can be used to check in on student progress, informally assessing their reading. Because it is an informal tool, Rally can complement any curriculum while supporting students. Teachers are able to select what details of reading sessions they pay attention to, and use the data to inform lesson planning towards the goals of any curriculum. 

While running records are typically based on pre-selected texts read by all students, Rally records reading sessions where students read books they selected from their personalized library. When students choose their own texts, they are able to select topics and genres they are interested in. This interest creates higher levels of motivation in students. Additionally, when students are reading preferred content aloud to themselves, they are in a “lower stakes” reading environment. This safe space allows students to read without worrying about performing or receiving a grade, which in turn reveals their strengths and any challenges they may face. 

Rally can also be a classroom tool for students to track their reading stamina and keep digital reading logs. Rally tracks the total words read during each reading session and allows teachers to set classwide daily goals for the amount of time read. These aspects of Rally motivate young readers to engage in intentional practice and goal setting. Rally enables teachers to use reading sessions to support conversations around literacy, identify what supports are needed, and efficiently spot where students are struggling. The recorded sessions are also assets in parent-teacher conferences. Parents can hear reading sessions recorded by their children, and discuss their performance and progress. 

Rally is a versatile classroom tool that can support both students and teachers. As both an informal assessment tool and goal setting/tracking program, it is an asset to any classroom.

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