It's all in the way it is used....

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Home : 2007 : June : 24

It's all in the way it is used....
By Maestra

I am a BIG fan of AR, but my school has very relaxed rules about using AR. I don't believe anyone uses it for a grade and we are not required to do so. Also, we are using the web-based program and our district has access
to ALL of the quizzes available. I spent much time going through my class library and easily 3/4 of my existing books are AR books. Plus, we are always being given new AR books for our classroom in addition to the ones available in our school library (all AR). We are not required to use the goals....some teachers do and some don't. We are not required to demand a certain amount of points

or books read. We do give recognition each card marking for the top 10 point earners at each grade level. I am not really big on that and to be honest, this year only a few of my 2nd graders made it on the list.

I do encourage them to take at least 2 tests per week passing at 80% or better. At the end of the semester I gave awards for those students who accomplished this. I also give small rewards for every 5 points earned in my class. I try to keep it really simple for me and the kids.

Do my kids love reading? ABSOLUTELY!!!! I do not give morning bell work. Instead my kids have independent reading. By the end of the year this could last as long as 50 minutes. The AR books are grouped by levels on my bookcases. Each table has a book bin containing some of my non-AR books. This came in handy at times when students were finished with an assignment and I didn't necessarily have time for them to get out of their seat to make a book selection. Many of the kids just chose those books. You could see children actively reading books at any time during the day if you came into my class. When the AR library closed for the year and no more quizzes were given....guess what? The kids were still reading. It was no different. They weren't just reading to gain points.

I teach 2nd grade students in a low socioeconomic urban school. Most of the students are bilingual. Many of their parents have a minimal education (3rd grade) or at the most a H.S. diploma. The parents may or may not speak English. There are many homes without books (the families move frequently and they are heavy to pack). The city has a library within walking distance of the school but very few of our students have library cards. AR has made a big difference in the lives of these kids. They learn that reading is an enjoyable hobby and that books are sources of learning and fun. I cannot believe it, but there are times that I have to scold my students to "put that book away" because we are moving on to something else.

Sorry this is so long, to anyone who may still be reading! I think AR is a good program, but it must depend on how it is used. When I went to school we had to do "book reports" and the teachers used to vary the formats to make it interesting. I HATED it! However, I was an avid, natural reader. Reading books and taking a simple quiz to determine basic comprehension would have been much more preferable to me than some sort of report or presentation.