Gen: Accelerated reading

[Jane <books@CFU-CYBERNET.NET>]

Hello all -
A teacher friend of mine is quite upset by the AR program in our
elementary school.  Seems children are not being TAUGHT literature, just
being told to read it.  Thus, her 4th grade daughter is not learning
about plot development, characterization, etc., but is being graded on
tests of 10 recall-type questions that may or may not be important to
the theme of the story.  I am a high school librarian and know almost
nothing about AR.  I checked the archives for info, because a couple of
years ago there was quite a dialogue on it, but I can't find much
information.  Is our situation unique or have others found that AR falls
short of its promises of a "reading renaissance" among elementary
students?  I should add that I have taught English for many more years
than I've been a librarian and this news raises my hackles.
Jane Behrens, Librarian
Hudson Community School
Hudson, Iowa
books@cfu-cybernet.net

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