AR Concern Thanks and one more comment

[Janet Ahern <JanStamper@AOL.COM>]

To all who have responded to my Post,
Thank you for your comments. It is interesting to me how carefully you have
to write a question.  The issue has to do more with what is already in the
library.  There is an additional piece to AR called Bookguide.  It is a handy
tool that matches your collection with tests and allows you to then match
what you already have to tests as they are added by AR.
While I feel comfortable with most of my collection, there are books that I
would not necessarily want a test for, because I feel that somehow the test
implies "safe" reading. I have observed students using lists that I have
created to help find AR books and choosing that book because it is on the
list.  To them it means that this book is in my range, therefore I should
read it. "Silent to the Bone" comes to my mind, I thought this was a
wonderful story, I couldn't put it down, but the issues that were in it...
(Bookguide will show that we have it, our AR person thinks that just because
it shows up on the list that we should purchase the test.)  I don't think I
would want students to casually pick this book up for reading based on the
idea that it has an AR test.  I also do not have the ability to monitor what
each student is checking out nor do I want to.  Finding a book to read in the
library for general purposes is a free choice, finding a book in the library
that matches a test (to me) is a different ballgame.
Thanks again for your comments.  I appreciate the support this Listserve
provides.

Janet Ahern
Christa McAuliffe Elementary
Sammamish, Wa
JanStamper@aol.com

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