Re: [LM_NET] TAR=>AR alternative systems - responses needed by noon today!

[Lisa Hunt <lisa3moon@YAHOO.COM>]

My opinion comes from working with students and watching their behaviors as well as 
extensive reading of the professional literature.
   
  AR is very good at some things:  1) helping to motivate young readers by 
providing a concrete goal, 2) measuring the task of reading for both teacher and 
student, 3) providing a monitoring system IF and only IF the reading teacher uses 
the Renaissance method of "conferencing" with students... and that is about all.
   
  When you have young, emergent readers and readers who are struggling to achieve 
grade level skills or overcome reluctant reading tendencies/habits AR can be a 
powerful tool.  When you are working with students who have skills and read on 
grade level then my attitude is COMPLETELY different.
   
  5th, 6th and older who read on grade level, even reluctantly should be given a 
level of respect.  Academically gifted students deserve the best options for their 
own growth.  Let them read what they want.  YES, begin the use of projects, but 
don't be too limiting.  Have you or your faculty been exposed to the Readers Bill 
of Rights?  It is an excellent tool to rely upon once students have achieved 
reading skills.  Let them read what they want, and use creative ways to support 
those choices they make when assignments are given out.
   
  The Reader's Bill of Rights comes from a David Pennac's Better Than Life, 1999.  
Here it is as posted on a reader's blog:
  http://www.bright.net/~dlackey/2004/08/readers-bill-of-rights.html
   
  Excellent commentary on the thing:
  http://www.washington.edu/alumni/columns/forum/bill_of_rights_comments.html 

"Huffman, Brandy S." <bshuffman@BURKE.K12.NC.US> wrote:
  Our principal has come to understand that AR levels books according to vocabulary 
and not necessarily interest or maturity level. (ie Just because the Grapes of 
Wrath is leveled a 4.9 doesn't mean that it is appropriate for a fourth grader). 
Here's the background: I've had AG (academically gifted) teachers demanding their 
students read books on a 7th grade and above level; as many of you know, there 
simply is not that much fiction on that level that is necessarily appropriate for 
middle school students. ( I also found it very interesting that Nicholas Sparks and 
Dan Brown's popular books for adults run in the 5th-6th grade levels! ) 
Anyway, after being instructed to spend my budget on high level stuff, I explained 
to him that AR levels are based solely on vocabulary, not maturity or interest, and 
the difficulty finding higher level stuff that was still appropriate. I also gave 
him the Grapes of Wrath example which blew his mind!
Now today, I find out that I am needed in a meeting at 12:00 where we are to 
completely revamp the way that we do AR. Among the things that I know have been 
mentioned are to drop the requirement of AR, change the name to Book Points (a rose 
by any other name is still a rose), focus more on book reports and summaries, etc. 
We're not looking for another system like Reading Counts, just a way to fix what we 
have now.
My question to put out to the collective experiences of the group is this: Have any 
of you gone through a similar overhaul of the system like this? What have you done 
to acknowledge the weaknesses of AR's leveling system? Anything else that you can 
offer would be greatly appreciated. I am expected to have a lot of input in this 
meeting at noon today and with the short notice, I thought I would tap into the 
fantastic knowledge base that is out there! 

Brandy Huffman
Media Coordinator
Walter Johnson Middle School
Morganton, NC 28655
(828) 430-4737
bshuffman@burke.k12.nc.us
"It is our choices that show what we truly are far more than our abilities."
Professor Dumbledore to Harry Potter J.K. Rowling From Harry Potter & the Chamber 
of Secrets


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        Lisa Hunt
  School Library Media Specialist, elementary
  National Board Certified Teacher
  Moore, OK
  lisa3moon@yahoo.com 





 
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