Re: [LM_NET] GEN: AR

[Darlene Yasick <lib027yas@SBCGLOBAL.NET>]

I know we will never solve this but I really question how much this gets kids 
talking about and writing about books and how it encourages them to go forward. 
Remember this AR test is multiple choice facts and that the more small books a 
child reads the more points. You don't want to take a couple of weeks to read a 
longer book when you could read several shorter books in the same time period. Kids 
figure this out fast.Case in point: My grandaughter is a great reader but she would 
opt for the smaller books at her level so she could get to her goal. 
 
As for talking about books, here's another personal experience. My grandson who is 
not all that crazy about reading was complaining that he hadn't done well on an AR 
test. I asked him what the book was about and he spent ten minutes telling me the 
story and explaining about the characters and motivations and all the stuff that we 
want kids to get out of a book. When I asked about how he knew so much about the 
book and still didn't get a good grade on the test, he said they didn't ask me any 
of that. 
 
And we won't even get into the "you can't read that because it's not your level, we 
don't have the test etc"  mess. Heaven help me if I could only read books written 
at the college level!
 
As with everything else one size really doesn't fit all and points don't 
necessarily mean comprehension or enjoyment
Just my two cents worth
 
Darlene Yasick
Librarian Retired
lib027yas@sbcglobal.net

--- On Sat, 8/29/09, Mitchell, Lynette <MitchellL@CITRUS.K12.FL.US> wrote:


From: Mitchell, Lynette <MitchellL@CITRUS.K12.FL.US>
Subject: [LM_NET] GEN: AR
To: LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
Date: Saturday, August 29, 2009, 12:32 PM


When I first got to my high school they had an AR Section...which were the only 
short shelves we had for display.  So when new books came in they were displayed on 
top of the AR books.  A couple of weeks after I got there, the other media 
specialist and I were discussing our philosophies etc. and I told her that although 
I didn't expect her to change it, but I was adamantly opposed to having a section 
just for AR books.   I knew I would have to live with it because she was the 
reining LMS.  I swear, just then a young man came in for an AR book and got very 
excited about a book he saw on the top of the shelf.  She went up to him and told 
him they were the new books and not AR.  He got very discouraged, put the book back 
and started to walk out without ANY book.  I called after him and told him he could 
still check that book out but should pick out an AR book for his assignment.

I turned to her and said...that just made my point!  Kids see a separate section 
and that tells them, THIS IS THE ONLY PLACE YOU CAN GET BOOKS!  That very moment 
she started plans to integrate the collection and soon after our school 
discontinued the use of AR altogether.
lm

Lynette Mitchell
Technology & Library Media Specialist
Crystal River High School
Crystal River, Florida 34428
mitchelll@citrus.k12.fl.us

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