LM_NET: Library Media Networking
Part II AR color coding
**Have no fear. It's terrific and the kids love it.
They are not embarrassed. That's what everyone says at
first but the kids are even relieved to know what
level the books are. I used AR at my former school,
6-8 grades,
and it was such a hit-not even 8th grade boys were
embarrassed. Used colored dots and half dots. Now at
my new school which doesn't have AR (but I'm working
on
it), I am labeling the books with the Demco Reading
level numbers which are colored per teacher and
student requests. The kids love it, the teachers are
happy, the principal is thrilled, and the assistant
superintendent says it's a great idea! Let me know if
you need more info.
**Count me as one vote against anything that will
stigmatize children by pointing out their reading
levels or ability.
**I just started in the library last year. It was my
first year with AR. I have all my AR books color
coded and each grade level has a section. I haven't
run into any problems with it as far as kids teasing
others.
Of course, as a rule our school is way below reading
levels but I have seen a few go above their "level"
and start reading more advanced books. I like the
color coding because it makes it easier to direct a
child to his level, in the beginning. Later, I have
bypassed the levels and directed them to an author
they read and would like more of.
**Linda: I am quite concerned that lately it seems
everyone seems to want to label their library's books
by reading levels. It seems to me that doing so
defeats one of the purposes of a library, which is to
allow
students to explore books of all kinds, at all levels.
If a book is above their reading level, the children
will be the first to know it, and will turn in the
book for another they can manage. Had my childhood
library been labeled by reading levels, I don't
believe I would have read The Three Musketeers in
fourth grade, or David Copperfield in sixth, not to
mention giving Don Quixote a try in fifth (I got part
way through and put it back since I really couldn't
get it). I ultimately read DQ in college, so it was
not much of a tragedy that I put it back in fifth
grade.
I don't believe in labeling except for genre (and if I
remember, one of the ALA's intellectual freedom
statements is against it as well, so that would make
it unethical). Teachers and librarians should know
approximate reading levels so that they can discreetly
guide students when it is needed, but children only
need to know if they like the book or not--it if is to
hard for them they will not. It amazes me that a
profession that is so strapped for time finds
something like this to do, which can ultimately result
in negative labeling of children and/or boxing them in
at a level they may be able to surpass if they feel
the freedom to try. I wonder if this is coming from
the old attitude of "once you have chosen it you have
to read it," which I personally abhor. Avid adult
readers routinely stop reading a book that does not
satisfy them and trade it in for another, and I don't
see why kid avid readers should be any different
(unless it is a class assignment). We tend to be an
anal-retentive profession just by the need to attend
to detail, but this is getting a little out of hand.
Do we really need to
control what kids read to this extent?
I'm sorry if people disagree with this, but I can't
think of a better way to discourage the very kids who
need it most from reading by than putting labels
everyone can see on the spine--they shout out "hey,
this
kid can't read as good as everyone else!" What kind
of a workshop was this that recommended it? I can't
believe that a librarian's workshop would do that. .
.I think the labeling should be confined to books
within the classroom if at all, and then very
discreetly.
OK, this is just my .02. Thanks for letting me get
this off my chest, it had begun to bother me quite a
lot.
**We don't color code, but we do write the reading
level on every AR book. I think color coding is quite
acceptable, but am curious as to exactly how you would
break it up. For instance, are all the levels
within the 2.0 to 2.9 range going to be one color, all
the levels within the
3.0 to 3.9 another, etc? The only trouble is that
children's reading levels aren't like that. They may
go from 1.4 to 2.6 or from 4.3 to 5.9. Color coding
will make it a little easier to find, I guess, but
they will
still have to understand the concept of the range of
levels and be able to choose ones that fit into their
own.
**Hi, I just color dot the books so that they are
recognized as being an AR book. I put the reading
level in the computerized card catalog so that the
individual student can see the reading level but other
students do not know by sight of the label what the
reading level is.
**I would not be in favor of color coding by reading
level. We should be encouraging students to read,
whatever the level, not discouraging those who cannot
read higher level books.
**I label the outside of all AR books with a yellow
dot. Inside the AR books I have a label that notes
reading level and points.
I think it shames some students who can't read at
"their" level and others choose "hard" books because
they "feel" smarter. Silly.
**We do not color code our books mainly because we
haven't had the time and I don't feel it needs to be
done. Some small students carry and ruler with their
ZPD on it that has been laminated by their teacher and
the person checking out can see if it is in their zone
or not. I have fifth graders that read young books
and they are just happy to be successful at what they
do.
**My MC uses color coding dots. We have used them for
AR since we started the program 5 years ago. Last year
was my first year as an LMC. I experienced one teacher
who complained that it lowered the child's self esteem
when s/he had to stay on a level lower than the
grade. I
thought long and hard about this and came up with a
temporary quick fix. We do not call them reading
levels, we call them ZPDs (zone of proximinal
development - from AR). this seems to have helped.
Also, I do am not
responsible for the students choice of ZPDs. The
teacher monitors this in classroom through the reading
log and TWI time. Of course, this is theoritical and
would be wonderful if everyne followed this procedure.
My principal is all for AR and she continues to
monitor the process.
**We have all of the books colour coded as to levels.
The dot is on the spine of the book. As well, we have
put a small label at the top of the book indicating
level eg. 3.4 and highlighted that in yellow. On the
front cover of the book at the bottom left hand corner
is another label the same eg 3.4 This is highlighted
too. I would strongly urge that you keep the
collection interfiled. Mine is not ( I inherited it
that way) and I think it is wrong as the students take
out AR books almost exclusively and do not see the
rest of the collection. Hope that helps.
**Linda, while I wouldn't be very fond of color coding
myself, and I would NEVER want to use that as a way of
organizing my books (I can see this coming when we
start AR at all our elems.) I can also see the
practicality
of it. If you are dealing with small children (K-2)
for AR you are going to have one heck of a time trying
to find a book on each child's level without some sort
of exterior level marking. 3rd and up seem to do well
with
being taught how to use the online catalog or the AR
binder to find what they need, but the lower the
reading skills the more individual help you or the
teacher will have to provide and it will take TIME. I
am recommending
to my schools that we don't do AR below 3rd grade
because of this. I think below that level you have to
do too much of the selection and too much individual
reading to the child. There's certainly nothing wrong
with that, but you just may not have the volunteers or
staffing to actually make that a workable reality.
You're probably right, too, about having no say so,
but learn to be Queen in a hurry!
**We had a big debate on this topic at UT this summer.
Most people felt that once the kids figured it out,
it would limit their choices. They would feel
compelled to get certain levels of books. Some
teachers will even demand that students get a certain
level of book. This is not going to promote wide
ranges of reading. Also, it can become a privacy
issue. If a child is reading on a low level, everyone
will easily know it by the label on the spine. If the
school really wants reading
levels on the books for the teachers' use, then maybe
the levels could be marked inside the front cover or
somewhere less conspicuous so that it does not become
an issue for the children. This should be for
instructional purposes only. Also, to save work and
lessen the chances that the children will figure out
the system, you might consider a code of colored dots
to stand for each level rather than writing it out.
My school has done this with their literacy library
where they house multiple copies of books for use with
small groups. Even there, though, the information is
inside the front cover except in the 1st grade books
using the
Reading Recovery numbers. Those do have the dots on
the front cover. A consistently colored spine label
that indicates AR books can have the level typed on it
along with the points so that the students can use
this info if they would like. However, I think any
kind of separate color coding of labels to reflect
reading levels conspicuously on the outside of the
book is a bad idea.
Can you tell I have an opinion on this? :-) I hope
some of this is
helpful.
**ALA h as a position statement on labeling. This is
an important ethical issue in the profession, and one
you should consider carefully. If you write the
reading level inside the book or in the catalog
record, it
may take an extra moment to locate it, but it will
save the low readers a lot of embarassment, and
potentially keep them reading. What's that worth?
**During conferences, I had a teacher send a parent to
the library to ask me where all of the third grade
reading level books were! I had to explain that, and
the teacher knows this, the school library is like any
otherlibrary. With this reasoning in mind, that is
why I request the teachers to be present at checkout
because they know better than I the reading levels of
their students. I am well aware that teachers have
many pressures on them, but I do not feel it is my
place to tell a child that he/she may not checkout a
particular book--I may be grossly wrong in my
uninformed judgement. I do not think color coding
books is good, either, for the reason you stated. We
already have books color coded for AR, Blue Bonnet,
Newbery, class sets, and counselor. I don't think
there are any colors left! What I am considering
doing, is in new books, writing the level of the book
from a bibliographic/review source on the inside
cover. That should help those teachers and students
and parents who insist that a child only read on
his/her level.... And I still love to read Green Eggs
and Ham!
**I thought that AR was a reading incentive program
rather than a developmental reading program. It is a
way for teachers to be sure that their children are
actually reading independently. That's all! I don't
put any levels on my books. It is important for
children to read books that they enjoy. I believe
that if they would rather read a zillion lower level
reading books rather than a book on their independent
reading level, they'll benefit just as much either
way. We're teaching them to read for pleasure.
**You can argue for or against something til the cows
come home. I understand all the reasons not to color
code, but I have done it in my grades 3-5 library
beacuse the kids took forever trying to find a book in
their reading range even when I had labels giving
the range and point value in the book. I had enough
to shelve without all the "wrong level" books they
pulled from the shelves and thrown around. I use a
code as follows: yellow 1.0-1.5 purple 1.6-1.9 red
2.0-2.5 brown 2.6-2.9 bpin 3.0-3.0 green 4.0-4.9 black
5.0-5.9 orange 6.0-6.9 blue 7.0 and up. The teachers
wanted to color code and I really seems to work better
for the kids.
I shelve books according to Dewey, not by color. I
have seen some libraries shelved by color and I can't
figure out how to find anything (maybe I am just slow
- it would be sooooo easy to shelve books tho!)
**I am a secondary school head media specialist. I've
taught, counseled, and for the last ten years have
been a librarian/media specialist. I agree with
you. I believe the color coding weighs in heavily on
the negative. Although the color makes for easy
access and identification, it also can label a child a
low reader, not smart, etc., among his peers and among
educators. Self esteem is far more important than
easy access and a media specialist who knows his/her
collection could point out AR books easily. I think
the
color coding does make finding the book much easier
hence less work/attention required of the teacher or
media specialist. It's much easier to just say look
for the red sticker than help find a book. I know I'm
in the minority here, but I think I'd rather see an AR
special collection than the color coding. The color
sticker is just out there for everyone to notice.
That's my two cents.
End of Part II
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