Read Naturally Encore: Conducting a one-minute timing

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In Encore II, you use one-minute timings to:

• Screen students when using an oral reading fluency assessment.
• Place each student in the correct level of Encore II with an appropriate goal.
• Conduct a student’s cold and hot timings.

Steps for Conducting a One-Minute Timing

1. Sit next to the student so that you can both see the story text (or make two copies).
2. Explain the purpose of the timing in terms the student can understand.
3. Read the title of the story to the student.
4. Set the timer for one minute, and then say, "When I hear your voice, I'll start my timer."
5. When the student begins reading, activate the timer.
6. As the student reads, tally his or her errors on a separate sheet of paper.
   • For each error, make a tally mark on a piece of paper (out of sight of the student).
   • Be consistent in what you count as an error.
     ​ Guidelines for counting errors
7. When the timer sounds, tell the student to stop reading, and make note of the last word the student read.
8. Count the number of words the student read in one minute.

   Guidelines for Counting Words

   • Each number on the left side of the story indicates the total number of words through the end of the previous line of text.
   • The words in the title do not count as words in the story. If the student reads the title, do not start the timer until the student reads the first word of the story.
   • Each word in the story counts as one word.
   • A number written as a numeral counts as one word.
   • Each word in a number written in words counts as a word.
   • An abbreviation counts as one word.
   • Each initial counts as one word when it appears within a person’s name.
   • If two full words are connected by a hyphen, each word counts as one word.
9. Subtract the number of errors from the number of words read to determine the student's words-correct-per-minute (wcpm) score.