AR also has tests on higher level skills, but they cost extra. It is great as an aid to your reading instruction, but take care it doesn't become a case of the tail wagging the dog with students reading for points only. I use the strategies in my classroom, but AR is only a part of the instruction. Many schools think it's an easy program and doesn't require any effort on the part of the staff.....it can be used in such a manner, but it isn't effective that way......
......but any program can be ineffective if there is a ineffective teacher or leader.... Bill ----- Original Message ----- From: "Marg Epp" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, September 02, 2007 3:17 PM Subject: [MOSAIC] Accelerated Reading > Hello all, > I am a Learning Support Facilitator in the area of literacy in my school > division. We have been working on reading comprehension strategies using > the work of Ellin Keene, Stephanie Harvey, etc. etc. etc. As with all > things, there are the keen, the reluctant, and all those in between (and > on other sides of the spectrum!). Recently I had an administrator contact > me because he wants to purchase the Accelerated Reading software. I was > somewhat familiar with it, having read about it years ago, but my very > general opinion was (is) that these are worksheets on a computer screen, > the main point is to get kids to do lots of reading (which isn't a bad > thing), it tests kids on very literal comprehension, but it doesn't teach > kids about how to think about their reading which is something we are > working on. Also, it's an incentive program which research shows has > little or no effect on long-term attitudes towards reading. Of course, > wanting to be someone with an open mind, I have been researching anything > to do with AR and still, I haven't been swayed to the other side. That's > not necessarily a bad thing either, in this case. What I have read is > that like any other program, it's not the program, but the people who > implement it, that make the difference. So I am looking for for some > response to this issue. Is there anyone out there who uses AR in a way > that supports "Mosaic of Thought" thinking? (I warn you, it has to be a > VERY good argument to convince me!!!!). I sound like one of those > resistant people, don't I?! However, I really am interested in a > conversation about this. > > Marg Epp > Learning Support Facilitator > Prairie Spirit School Division > Saskatchewan, Canada > _______________________________________________ > 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.
