This article reminded me of the AR debate at our school. Some teachers want to use it for grades, Fun Friday, and competition in the school. I have had heated discussions with the computer lab assistant because she won't let my first graders open their book when they take a test. I try to apply Dewey's philosophy. I use AR to help my low students learn how to learn. If they don't know something, they need to learn how to look it up in a book. By looking up a word they don't know on the test, they teach themselves how to figure out words. By looking up something they didn't comprehend in the story, they teach themselves how to find answers. It will also help them learn about comprehending stories. And this will help them in the upper grades. If they don't look up something they don't know, taking the test is a waste of their time and mine. They have learned nothing. I'm not interested in the competition. At my grade level AR should be used for the sake of learning and building self-esteem. I do give rewards for every 10 tests they take. But, I make sure every student reaches these goals by making sure they pass the tests. How do you feel about AR?

Cathy, at our school, there is much emphasis placed on AR. Each child is given a point goal every 9-weeks to try to reach. Those that reach their goal are rewarded with a popcorn party. In the upper grades, (5th and 6th in this case) part of their grades are tied into this. As a mom, knowing the type reader that my daughter is, I know she will do fine, she exceeds her points every month, BUT, as a teacher who works with children with reading problems, I don't think that it is right. The K-2 teachers don't place emphasis on it for a grade, still the pressure is there for the student to push and push to read these books. I would like to read a study about AR (done by someone not affiliated with them, of course) to see if there is as much benefit from it asthere seems to be talk of. If it could be done in a manner that is fair to all children concerned, it might not be as bad, but there are always going to be some students that never are able to reach their goals the way that it is set up now.

Cathy, My sister is a Media Specialist at a school in TN. We have discussed this issue at length. She says at her school they do not give AR under the 1st grade because often they cannot take the test by themselves with no help. Some students can, but in their school some cannot. So they begin at 2nd grade. At our school you can begin as early as Kindergarten for those children who are ready. They earn points and then according to the points they have earned can go to an AR store.

Wow! I certainly agree with your point of view concerning AR. As a reading teacher I encourage students to look back through the reading
selection to find clues and to Re-read when necessary to improve their
contextual understanding. My strategy is often frowned upon by others
because they think that all students should remember every word that they read. I'm glad you feel the same way!

I'm glad you guys brought this up. We had AR until this year when we switched to Reading Counts (RC). I don't like either. Too many children will not pick up a book unless it is RC. They are missing so many good books and magazines as a result. Kids will say "Is it RC?" My response is always "I don't know (even if I do). Read it because it's a good book. Find out if it's RC after you have read the book and if so take a test."

I'm a very competitive person in some situations but not with RC/AR. We have competitions here at school too but I don't push my kids to take part. I'm concerned with whether or not they are reading, not if it's RC. I think the competition is good for those children that would not read without the incentive. Overall there are not that many that fit this.

When our school first got AR, I was excited and I liked it. Children were not required to earn a certain number of points each month or nine weeks period. My Title I students loved to take a test when they read an AR book. It made them feel good when they could read a book and successfully answer questions about it, by themselves.

Now there is too much competition with AR and students are required to earn so many AR points each month or nine weeks period.

As a parent, I don't like it. Earlier this school year, I told my son, who is in fourth grade, that he couldn't read the book he was reading because it wasn't in his AR point range and he had not earned his AR points for the month. I was disappointed in myself for telling my son he couldn't read the book, especially when his response was, "But it's so interesting!" (He did get to finish reading that book.) There are so many GOOD books that are not AR!!

Cindy

We also have Reading Counts at our school. Our media specialist is setting up a special field trip for students who earn 100 or more points by the end of March. She is also rewarding classes where all students have at least 25 points. I have a little boy who is an ESL student. He is continually reading books by himself and then taking tests. He hardly ever passes even though his scores have continued to improve. Even if he reads with my assistant or another student he still has trouble while taking the test. He will not be rewarded by the media specialist because he only has 4 points. He is one of the hardest workers in my class. I'm going to reward him for his improvement. I just wish we were rewarding for reading and not the points acculumated from testing. Michelle

Hey, guys. I've been fighting the AR battle this year too. It's awful what it's done to the love of reading my students had at the beginning of the year. They used to love DEAR time. Now it's a 30 min fight to the death. And I usually lose.

They are so worried about points, bookl levels, and percentages that half the time they don't even know the TITLE of the book they're reading! They can tell you the book level, how many points it's worth, and how much it'll boost their scores.

As a reading teacher - -it's sad.

As a math teacher - at least I can skip percentages this year!

Okay, let's clear one thing up. AR is software. That is all it is. NOW, Reading Renaissance is a teaching program that WHEN USED CORRECTLY is wonderful. Think of AR as the brain, and RR as the heart.

When used correctly, students are motivated, instructed, monitored, and given interventions as they PRACTICE reading. It is not for comprehension. It is not a reading inventory.

I know how to throw a baseball. I know where my feet should be and how to turn my body.... BUT I'm not any good at it. Why? Because I don't practice. I know how to lay brick. I know how to use the joiner and how to mix the mud...but I'm not very good at it. Why? Because I don't practice. I know how to ski...

If the children do not like it...it is not being used correctly. Our school gets better at using the Reading Renaissance each year. (And each year, I have higher leveled readers.) But it takes training. We had RR training a few years ago. Then, I went to a Renaissance Leadership training. And now, I've gone to a Renaissance four-day conference. AND I still have a ways to go, but I'm improving. It is hard to do all four parts of the RR: Motivate, instruct, monitor, and intervene... And it is difficult to get in the appropriate amount of time on READ TO, WITH, and READING INDEPENDENTLY. But it pays off. We just finished the nine-weeks and 12 of the 15 made their goals (points and percentage) and the other three were very close. I take no credit for that--they worked hard. But part of it is that they LOVE to read. They try to read during math time--I actually have to fuss at them for it. ANd they share their books with each other.

There are studies done on the program that were not done by them. In my Title One meetings and in a No Child Left Behind workshop I was shown these studies. It stands up to most states' tests. Children read more and become better readers--bottom line.

One more thing: almost every book that you can think of has an AR test. That doesn't mean you have it at your school. But if your media coordinator is any good and the funds are offered to him or her, you can request that they get a test. And if a book is only a little above or below the child's ZPD, let them read it. That is part of the program--it is an individual program where you consider the individual's needs. It is perfect for our state's (and nation's) push for No Child Left Behind which forces us to look at individual children.

Competition? My kids compete only with time. That is it. Anyone setting up anything different is hurting the spirit of the program.

Sorry, you hit a nerve here. It isn't your fault. I used to feel differently. I promise that PURE Renaissance isn't any of the things you've accused it of. But when people have not been thoroughly trained in it...it definitely could be.

By the way, if a child has had a book READ TO them, they should have the test read TO them. If a child has READ A BOOK WITH someone, they should read the test WITH someone. If they read it independently, they should read the test independently.

As a mom of a 12 year old, I KNOW that he has read more books at his age than I did at his age. (And I was one of those rare children who loved to read.) It has been a challenge with him; a productive challenge.

Amanda- You have made some good points. I can definitely say that is not how AR/RC is used at me school. This is probably the reason I do not like it. The kids here have the thought of "Why should I read it if I can't take a test." One of them said exactly this today. My response "Because you read it because it is fun, not to take a test." She didn't get it- her look told me so.

First of all I'd like to say that I enjoyed all of your post. Currently I'm not in the classroom, therefore, not familiar with a lot of the testing and reading programs teacher's are using. I learned alot. Thank you all!!!

Amanda, I attended a Reading Renaissance workshop a few years ago and it was really stressed that AR is not to be used as part of a reading grade. I think it should be supplemental to help the child see the level they should be reading. Our school and others that I have worked at as a Title I teacher have all used AR as part of the reading grade and require so many points per grading period for AR books read. I also agree that many of our students are missing out on classic literature because there is not an AR test for the book. If teachers could make the time to do the read to, read with portions of AR it would be different, but teachers are pushed anyway. We do an AR store for the number of points earned. I am really not a big fan of AR because it is not used in the way that the Reading Renaissance program intended and because I see kids missing out on other great books.

Kim

Randy, I did not say I disliked AR in my post. I was just starting a discussion. I thought it was a good example of how Dewey's philosophy could be applied or not applied. I knew it would get us talking! It's all in how it is used.