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I think you could take Elizabeth's message and substitute grade 1 for grade
12, and the message would still be accurate.  Shouldn't reading be fun for
everyone, regardless of age?

Becky Mosbacher
Library Media Specialist
Hellgate Middle School
2385 Flynn Lane
Missoula, MT  59808
bmosbacher@hellgate.k12.mt.us

-----Original Message-----
From: Elizabeth Gillies [mailto:yarrowlib@YAHOO.COM]
Sent: Friday, September 28, 2001 3:13 PM
To: LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
Subject: Re: Accelerated Reader for 1st grade?


I sent this reply to Ruth separately and then decided
that I had to allow my response to go to a wider field
as it means a lot to me.
                    +++++++++++++++++++

      I was a grade 1 teacher for over 9 years and a
kindergarten teacher for 13 (also during that time, I
taught K/1 for 2 years).  i am now a teacher-librarian
and we use AR (not implemented by me) in our school of
K-6 students.  The only students that are on the
problem however are gr 2-6.
      My opinion is that gr 1 students do not need to
be on AR.  Those children do not have to take a test
on a book just because they are advanced in my
opinion.  Reading for 6 and 7 year olds should be for
fun. AR's purpose (when you strip away all the glitz)
is a computerized program to provide accountability to
teachers that their students are actually reading the
book that they say they are.
     Little children need to read for the enjoyment
that they get out from a book and then to share it
with others (not a machine).  If a teacher wants them
to prove they have read the book, have the child draw
a picture of their favourite part in the story; find
five words (or 10) that they either they didn't know
what  the meaning of (and have them look it up in the
dictionary),or words they just liked the sound of;
write a letter to the main character (eg the big bad
wolf); do a wanted poster; make a story map and show
these to the rest of the class; have the students read
a picture book to the class (instead of the teacher
that day);  write a different ending to the story;
etc; make a bookmark for the story; have them read
with lower students and help them with words they do
not know....etc.  (I have used all these suggestions
in the past by the way).
     Throughout their life, students have to take
enough tests to prove what they know without using
this one at an age when oral language and play is so
important.
      Self esteem is so important....gr. 1's struggle
with many things in their first "real year" of school,
such as a full day, learning to print properly,
reading in groups and singly, getting along with each
other, new number concepts etc.  They do not need to
get into a competition with themselves or others.
     How lucky those students that are already
reading! And how lucky for the teacher that can allow
those students to fly!  But bright, capable students
do not need MORE work, they need DIFFERENT work!!
Taking an extra test that others do not is more work.
Rather similar to assigning students more math sheets
when they are done because they finished early don't
you think?
      Please allow those children to do work that
allows them to extend and expand what they already
know, not just give them extra work that puts an
already large gap between themselves and their
classmates even bigger.  Perhaps then, we can allow
them to enjoy being children a little longer.
        Elizabeth




=====
Elizabeth Gillies Teacher-Librarian
Yarrow Elementary
46361 Yale Rd Chilliwack BC V2P 2P9
ph:(604) 823-4408
email:yarrowlib@yahoo.com

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