Lori, I'll step out on that limb with you! The AR program was never intended to be a driving force in reading instruction! It was a great motivational program for reluctant readers when it was first available. Children earned "prizes" as they accumulated points, which encouraged many children to read more. I have seen this be a successful way to increase the number of books read by many students. Sadly, it has come to be regarded negatively by many because it is MISUSED. You seem to have a very good handle on how to use it in your classroom, and it obviously does not drive your instruction. AR, as well as a DRA or IRI or any other tool teachers use, is only as good as the teacher using it. You have also made some good points about having something in black and white to share with students and/or parents about appropriate independent levels. So, I say, keep up the good work and don't jump on that negative AR bandwagon. Those systems that mandate AR be used primarily as an assessment tool are greatly misguided, and I have to wonder about the wisdom of their leaders. All email correspondence to and from this address is subject to North Carolina Public Records Law which may result in monitoring and disclosure to third parties, including law enforcement.
________________________________ From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] on behalf of lori.labrum Sent: Wed 6/27/2007 10:19 PM To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] AR Ok, I will put myself out for a hanging here. My school bought into AR many years ago and I do use it. It is not mandated; it is entirely up to the teacher how we use it. I realize it is not a reading program to teach reading, but I don't use it as such. Our library has the leveled books mixed in with all the other books on the shelves and I don't require that students read only AR books. My students (third grade) only need to earn 3 points a quarter, which means they only have to read and pass quizzes on 2-5 books. I only use it to see if they are truly reading the books they say they are. But that is not my only method of checking their independent reading. We do book talks, write book reports, all the other things that good teachers have students do. This is just one way to assess, and yes, I know the questions are all recall....I know all the reasons why teachers don't like it. But it gives me another hard copy record to show parents how their child is doing. How many times do students pick a book they "want" to read, and then just look through it, or talk about it with a friend, or "I saw the movie" and then try to do a book report or a book talk? Same thing. With a class of 30 third graders I don't get to everyone to conference about each book they read. And for the parent who insists that the 300 page book is just right for their child, then they take a quiz after reading it, it helps to show the parent that perhaps that book was truly a bit too difficult for the child. Also, on the other hand, when a better reader consistently chooses books that are too easy, I can show the parents the report, praise them for getting good high scores on recall, and challenge them to try a book that is a bit more difficult. No, it isn't my only way and I don't expect them to read ONLY AR books, but for me, it works as another resource. (Only 3 points a quarter doesn't take long.....................the rest of the quarter they do all those other things.) Lori/Utah _______________________________________________ Mosaic mailing list [email protected] To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive.
_______________________________________________ Mosaic mailing list [email protected] To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive.
