Love, Love, Love Ar!!!

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Love, Love, Love Ar!!!
By AnonOne

I couldn't have stated it better than the last few posters who shared how well the program works for them! I, too, am a huge AR fan, and so are my students.

For me, one of the biggest draws in favor of AR is in
helping students understand the joy and beauty in setting and meeting individual goals. This is a skill that can have a positive effect on everything they do in life, and I love the fact that it's linked to reading, which also affects every other facet of life in some way.

But, to address the original poster's concern, I think that the key to balancing the "chore" part of reading

(or any other subject), with the "fun" part, is to to truly understand what you enjoy, as a teacher, and to be sure to infuse LOTS of whatever that is, throughout your classroom. Finding a balance with AR is no exception.

I know of teachers, for example, who consider it an unncessary chore to make sure there are a variety of AR books available to their students. I, on the other hand, am THRILLED whenever I discover that a particular book with beautiful illustrations, interesting plot, etc., is AR, and therefore will have an even stronger appeal to some students. This is actually "fun" for me, and therefore, students mirror my positive attitude. They also look forward to setting weekly goals, enjoying read-alouds, partner reading, etc., all connected to AR.

For those teachers who find it difficult to connect AR with reading for fun, I say be sure to remember what YOU enjoy about reading, and find a way to give that gift to your students, no matter what. :s)