Madeline and other interested persons,
One thing I talk about when introducing AR books is the interest level. To
illustrate I will use the particular chioces from your message.
Notice Scorpions below.
The interest level is Upper. This would be a perfect choice for a
struggling high school-aged reader.
I probably would not even have in an elementary collection. Most of Myers
books are at MG (6,7,8 th grades)
Scorpions
Quiz No.=A0386=20
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Author:=A0Myers, Walter Dean
Language:=A0English=20
Interest Level:=A0Upper Grades Type:=A0Fiction
Book Level:=A03.7 Recorded Voice Available:=A0No
AR Pts:=A06.0 Word Count:=A044653
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Summary:=A0After reluctantly taking on the leadership of the Harlem gang, the
Scorpions, Jamal finds that his enemies treat him with respect when he
acquires a gun-- until a tragedy occurs.
The Dr. Seuss books are all at Lower Grades Interest Levels.
Of the 57 Dr. Seuss books currently available as tests through AR
3 are leveled below 1.0,
9 are leveled in 1 to 2,
12 are leveled between 2 &3,
21 are leveled between 3 &4
8 are leveled in 4
and 1 "You're Only Old Once" is leveled at 5.2
Clearly, there is a variety of level choices here and are all good choices
for students who are ready for more challenging vocabulary or will be
sharing the books with a more advanced reader.
All of the 146 Nature's Children books all are designated as Middle Grades
Interest Levels. This makes perfect sense to me because when students are
reading nonfiction OR in a genre with which they have no or little
familiarity they should choose a book at the average of one level below
their regular choices.
These books are all written at reading levels 4.7 to 6.7 - thus giving
middle level readers (this is assuming that all are reading somewhere near
their grade level) a range of reading levels -
I hope that all of you who are using AR will take advantage of the Interest
Levels. I have found them a valuable tool, not only in my collection
development, but in the (some ways) more important job of helping students
choose books with which they can successfully read and understand.
AR is NOT perfect. I have never found a system that is, but it can be a
very good workable program.
~^~
Brook A. Berg
Media Specialist
ISD 22
Detroit Lakes Middle School
Detroit Lakes, MN 56501
bberg@detlakes.k12.mn.us
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