Silly question but wouldnt any reading program that cover large population have 2 be aimed at average reading level and average readers since thats your baseline?...

Sounds like the AR rep or school needs 2 do a better job of encouraging above average/older readers not AR itself.. A program for above average readers would leave out 85% or more students

Maybe librarian, district, gifted rep, AR, principal need to sit down and come up with new quizes and books since the program is customizable (ie Comics -- but todays comics might be objectionable to your more conservative families -violence, adult subjects, enlarged anatomy, etc)

[ 08-21-2006, 12:30 AM: Message edited by: Shawn ]

I do not like the AR program. It is geared towards average students with average reading levels. I have worked with 5th graders who are very low readers and they do not want to read Dr. Seuss or as they said, "Baby Books". I would rather see them read comic books if it gets them interested in reading. Some of my students refused to read or take a test on their level, beacause they didn't want their peers making fun of them.

I also have 2 children on the high level, who cannot find books that hold there interest. My fifth grader cannot find any 9th grade books at school and I feel that some of the content in a 9th grade level book is not appropriate for him to read.

I think we should go back to letting them read what they want and do some kind of report on what they read. Make reading fun not a chore!!!

Debbie is right, you can write your own quizzes up to a set limit per school. For capable students, it can be an extra credit assignment to write a quiz. We didn't do it often, but we had a handful of students who were very good at writing quizzes.

Also, if you have a book with no quiz available, you can request one from Rennaisance Learning. If there are enough requests, one will be written. Check out www.renlearn.com .

Forgot one more thing. [img]smile.gif[/img] The STAR test is a great way to get a child's reading level (extremely helpful for teachers), but it is a timed test on a computer. I have found that my students who have a hard time focusing in class usually need someone nearby to remind them to hit the enter button when they select an answer or the timer runs out and the question is marked wrong. Also, for the really young ones, especially K students, using a computer can be difficult...again they may need help.

Deb

CrewChief has it right with the good and the bad. I think AR is really great with the lower level students (elem.), but book selection is very limited for middle school - like Crew said, the content is not always appropriate.

For those of you that feel the tests don't keep up with the latest books, I have a solution...talk to your media specialist about making tests on your own. The program allows anyone (with program authority) to get on and make your own tests to be used by all. I have done this with several books at the K & 1 grade levels as there aren't very many books in our library for those that are a little behind.

The reward system usually works to get most students motivated, but keep in mind that many students will choose not to participate even if they get something rewarding in the end. For the elem. level, I think this has a lot to do with parent involvement. If you plan to use AR, make sure you've got everyone on board, especially the parents. Maybe have an AR night to explain the benefits.

Oh, and one more positive thing for AR: Having used it for years as a teacher, it is helpful to get immediate feedback for a child's comprehension level. I have had several students in the past with very high reading levels, but when questioned on the content of the story, couldn't answer the questions correctly...reading, but not taking it in. AR can definitely point this out quickly.

Deb

My daughters former schol used AR but have also implemented a new one also (I just cant think of it name) I'll find out and post it--- Hazards of being 40yrs old