HIT: SEC: Accelerated Reader Pt. 1

[Sandra Norfolk <Sandra_Norfolk@bbs.w-delaware.k12.ia.us>]

Thanks to all who replied so quickly to my question about Accelerated Reade=
r in a high school.  Some of you suggested I check out the archives, which =
I found very helpful.  Following are the responses I received :


<x-fontsize><param>9</param><x-fontname><param>Monaco</param>I'm in a high =
school in which the AR is being used with the resource room

students only.  I have mixed feelings and I was and am disappointed in some=


of the books used in the program.  For instance, I am at the end of my 25

=0Ayear career.  Many of the books that are supposed to appeal to teens are=


old, old, old.  I wonder why since the program is so expensive why are they=


using books that were read years ago and were already discarded.  didn't

they have the personnel to read and evaluate newer books?


Yes, the kids are reading but that is all they are reading.  I do not find

that that they check anything else out--they are only interested in the

points.  T. Sedinger

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 I like the program as I especially hated dull written

book reports. Deborah A. Smith

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I'm at a JUNIOR high.&nbsp; We've used AR for two years now.&nbsp;

Looking back, I wish that we would have given Electronic Bookshelf a look

first.<</TT>

<<BR><<TT>AR has the same ten questions in the same order.&nbsp; At least

the choices are scrambled each time.<</TT>

<<BR><<TT>Electronic Bookshelf gives 10 random questions from a pool of 20

or 30.<</TT>

<<BR><<TT>In my humble opinion, books are over-valued and under-valued and

that cannot be changed.&nbsp; I understand in older versions, teachers

or librarians could alter the value of books.&nbsp; For example, Silas

Marner, a pretty tough book to plow through is only worth fifteen points.&n=
bsp;

Many of the Louis L'Amour books are worth fifteen and more points.<</TT>

<<BR><<TT>Now that we have more data on the kids, some of AR's reports beco=
me

more useful.&nbsp; Many kids can manage to eke out the points, but using

the =22At risk report=22 I can spot those who are failing several tests or

consistently barely passing tests.&nbsp; I'd much rather see a kid pass

five five-point tests with 90 or 100% than score 60% on a forty-point book.=
<</TT><<TT><</TT>


<<P><<TT>If your feeder junior high/middle schools are using it, you'll def=
initely

want to make a point of importing students' reading records as they come

to you at the high school.&nbsp; If allowed to do whatever they want, kids

tend to choose the easiest route (surprise=21)&nbsp; Here at our junior hig=
h,

they immediately gravitate toward things they've already read (usually

=0Aas a class) in the 4th, 5th, and 6th grades.<</TT>

<<BR><<TT>All in all the concept of AR is good despite the flaws in the pro=
gram.<</TT><</HTML> T. Gittins

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Before you invest in AR, I would suggest you check out Electronic

Bookshelf.  We are an urban high school of 2500 students and we just

went to EBS this year with GREAT success.  We decided on EBS over

Accelerated Reader because of the tests, EBS has 30 question tests which

allows students to retake them without getting the same questions every

time - we think that really eliminates cheating - and believe  me, they

will try to cheat=21  We feel the key to the success of the program here

is the way the teachers bought in to the program, and our (the

librarians) willingness to do the work of entering the data into the

computer.  K. Crandall

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 I firmly believe that AR is one of the best programs that I have seen to

promote reading and increase the reading abilities of the students. G. Topp=
e

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My English teachers like AR because the student actually has to read

the book to pass the test and they no longer have to grade book reports or

listen to them in class. Class time can be spent in a more profitable way.

Ar can do alot to boost to boost reading comprehesion which helps students

be successful on ant end-of-course and standardized test. C. Sasser

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