[LM_NET] AR and FVR

["McCHEYNE,BETH" <BMcCHEYNE@SOUTHSENECA.K12.NY.US>]

Accelerated Reader and Free Voluntary Reading do not have to be mutually exclusive 
if you have the ability to have enough tests for really good books so that students 
have choice, and if the requirement for AR points is at a reasonable level so that 
they can also read other books just for fun.  We use AR in my school, but I will 
always defend the students' right to read just for pleasure, and most of our 
teachers agree with me.  So this is what we do: the students need to always have 
one AR book that they are working on, and the other 1 or 2 items that they have 
from the library can be anything they choose.  They are free to exchange books 
whenever they want to, and that includes ditching an AR book if they decide they 
don't like it or it's too hard or too long for right now.  They are required to get 
a certain number of points per marking period or else sacrifice a point or two on 
their ELA grade.  The students I have asked have said that they do like getting AR 
points and they don't feel that the requirement precludes other leisure reading.  I 
have also seen non-readers turn into readers due to the requirement to get AR 
points, and I no longer have students ask in that whiney voice, "Do I HAVE to get a 
book today?".  I agree that AR should be used cautiously, which is why I jumped in 
to be a decision-maker when I saw that our teachers were going in that direction.  
So far, I think the program is working for us, but I do stay involved to keep it 
from getting unreasonable.
 
Beth McCheyne
Elementary Librarian
South Seneca Central School
Interlaken, NY 
bmccheyne@southseneca.k12.ny.us
 

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