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Hello Cindra,
Here's some input on AR:

The upside:
1.. Research shows that the more kids read, the better readers they  
become.
2. AR is an incentive program to encourage students to read more.
3. The incentive includes: using a computer to answer concrete  
questions about a book, the handing out of awards for various levels  
attained [determined by the staff] and/or recognition at larger  
venues [Back to school night etc].
4. AR uses the computer to log student reading by keeping track of  
their test scores so that teachers do not have to keep track on their  
own.
5. Many kids will read more with an incentive.


That's all AR is: a recording method for kids reading.

A school does NOT have to use AR in order to create an exciting  
reading incentive program. There are many, many ways to do that.

The downside:
1. AR is expensive - you pay for tests, the staffing to get all the  
books tagged, upgrades to your computer automated catalog to put AR  
on your MARC records, cost of computers for kids to access the tests,  
costs to pay for incentives [candy, stickers, ice cream socials, etc  
ranging up to taking kids out to lunch...whatever you decide to use  
as incentives: they all cost money!]. Everytime you add a new book  
you have to add in the cost of an AR test and labels.
2. AR is labor intensive- set up is extensive input, ordering  
[ locating which books you already have that have AR tests,  
purchasing new books and their tests].
3. AR tests ONLY comprehension. Not a bad thing overall, but some of  
the questions are downright ridiculous. They cause kids to stop  
reading for pleasure and start reading for detail - NOT the kind of  
reading you're necessarily trying to create.
4. Schools sometimes go overboard with AR and look at only the test  
and not the reason for having AR in the first place. They only let  
kids read at 'their level', they arrange the library according to AR  
levels, they overemphasize the test, they overemphasize the  
incentives [and thus, when AR is gone, so is the reading].
5. It separates kids from their teachers: it's not as easy for  
teachers to always know what their kids are reading.

Managing AR is a clerical process NOT a professional process and  
proper staff is needed to take care of it.


A good reading incentive program includes a school wide commitment to  
reading: EVERYONE reads [including janitors, secretaries,  
supervisors, Principal] and everyone talks about books, book reading  
clubs are in effect school wide, prizes of books are given as rewards  
for various contests, reading becomes cool because everyone gets to  
read what they want. Kids become eager to 'one-up' the adults by  
reading more. Night time parent/ community activities center on  
reading: storytelling festivals, poetry readings, Halloween stories,  
etc.

AR money is better spent on buying more books for the library. The  
school librarian can purchase a wide variety of levels and titles.  
Kids are ENCOURAGED to read widely - even 'below their level' when  
desired.

If your Principal needs research: show him/her "The Power of REading"  
by Stephen Krashen. Creating a 'community of readers' is research  
based, is replicable and WORKS!!!

My plea to your Principal is:
Our kids are already over tested and directed to concrete,  
comprehension based questioning. By allowing kids to read widely and  
to read things they're interested in, they develop into better test  
takers, higher achievers and generally nicer people.  There is  
evidence that supports that kids who read widely do better on the SAT  
and ACT exams. They just get a general wider view of the world. Their  
vocabulary is better and they are better spellers. Your school  
librarian can direct the best reading incentive program your school  
ever saw, if you would gather your faculty, staff and parental  
community together to promote reading everyday. You don't need tests,  
you need books to read, time to read them and time to share them.

WHY can't we just let them read??


IMHO.
Connie

Connie Hamner Williams
Teacher Librarian
National Board Certified
Kenilworth Junior High
800 Riesling Road
Petaluma, CA 94954
707-778-4719 [direct]
707-778-4710 [school office]
chwms@mac.com
www.teacherweb.com/ca/kjhs/homepage

On Sep 2, 2006, at 12:14 PM, Cindy wrote:

Hi all,

I'm the one who recently asked about how to control noise during  
check out
time in a primary school library. Many of you gave me some great  
responses,
and you probably noticed I posted several HIT's of the responses.

You may also have seen my recent post about having only three 50 minute
periods per week to do administrative work and planning in the  
library due
to an increase in my class times so that the teachers could have more
planning time. (Teachers don't come to the library with the kids) I now
teach 27 classes per week, 50 minute classes each, to K-2.

Now the teachers are asking me about Accelerated Reader. They told me  
the
principal has never wanted to have it. I told them there are other  
reading
programs out there and that I wouldn't have time to do AR with the  
little
time I have to get other things done.

What should I tell them about AR? Are there other programs that are  
better?
How much time does AR take?

I feel like I'm drowning already. AR may be the final straw for me.  
I'm for
doing everything I can for the kids, but I'm just one person with not  
much
time on her hands.

Please, send your answers in a form that I can show to my principal  
and the
teachers so they can make a decision about whether AR is what the  
kids need.
If they do choose to do AR and don't give me more time to do it, I'll
probably have to give up and look for a job that is better suited to  
a human
being :-) LOL!

Help!

Help!

(I haven't gone down for the third time yet!)

Cindra Boring

Librarian

Madisonville Primary School

Madisonville, TN

cbtn@bellsouth.net

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