When Do I "DO" AR?

• Before school 7:30 - 8:00
• Continue during announcements, lunch count, and attendance
• As part of morning work
• During Self-Selected Reading
• When they have finished other work
• When you have little chunks of time i.e. before lunch, before specials, transition times, before dismissal, etc.

Remember they need at least 30 minutes during the school day for independent reading. This is a good time for progress monitoring and conferencing with students. (Ask the about what they are reading, check for comprehension and fluency, etc.)

At LEAST 30 minutes each night for practice. Every day you eat, you must also read. Feed Your Body, Feed Your Brain!

If they are reading you must also provide a time for them to take quizzes. Have them take vocabulary quizzes!

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Management

One of the hardest things is trying to keep a handle on what is going on in each child's reading experience. These are some tried and true tips of what really works at JP. The list is ever changing.

Ideas:

• Reading Logs
• Print out reports from Renaissance Place
• State of the Class
• TOPS Reports- Conference with Students DAILY!
• STUDENTS must KNOW HIS/HER AR LEVEL!!!
• Number system if too many want to take quizzes - like a Bakery!
• Take cards to Media Center when they check out books
• Make a necklace for each child. Necklace has AR info (Student name and AR levels) Instead of 2.6 - 3.6, the teacher wrote out each level. She got the necklaces from Highlights

 

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Rewards

There are different levels of our rewards program.

Media Center

• Dog Tags
  • Gold Star for meeting all three goals for the 9 weeks
  • Dog Bone for going up a grade level in Star
  • Choice of dog tag at mid term
• 100 Point Club
  • Students put hand print on ceiling tile
  • Get a Specially Designed T-shirt
  • Get a certificate
  • have a party - food and prizes
• Trophy for the student with the most points in the school for the year.

Grade Level

Recess for Readers (grades 3 - 5)

Each week the students have to be at a certain percentage by Friday in order to participate in RFR. Teachers post the percentage for the week on the board. As students meet the goal for te week they get to put their name on the board. One grade level gives popsicles.

Some teachers stay inside with those who did not "make it" and other teachers go out with those who did. This is a special recess. Those who stay in continue to work.

One teacher stated that RFR, "prevents kids from getting too far behind because the KIDS keep up with their own progress."

Students must meet a certain percentage by the end of each week of the 9 weeks.

• Week 1 - 11%
• Week 2 - 22%
• Week 3 - 33%
• Week 4 - 44%
• Week 5 - 56%
• Week 6 - 67%
• Week 7 - 78%
• Week 8 - 89%
• Week 9 - 100%
  

 

Classroom

Individual teachers do different things to reward participation and achievement in their classroom. This is a list of some ideas.

• Skittles / M&M's, etc. for 100's (or some predetermined score)
• pizza or popcorn party for those students meeting 9 week goals
• Picture on "Walk of Fame"

Other Ideas

Book Clubs - Allowing students to read together is highly motivating.

Reading Rainbow type presentation of their story, etc.
Write a response to what they read
Create something based on what they read
Give students a choice of response to literature.

Quotes from Kids

When asked, "What are your thoughts about Accelerated Reader? What have you learned?" Students gave some interesting answers.

"Here is my advise to kids. Keep reading. Don't ever give up."

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Handouts

CCSS AR Procedures

This is the "official" guideline from Coweta County for AR.

Goal Setting Chart

After giving the Star Test, look at this chart to help determine goals. Most of the time these are the minimums to START with. Goals do vary depending on the student, but remember to ALWAYS have high expectations!

Student Reading Contract

This form can be used when you conference with students while setting individual AR goals. Don't forget to set ALL goals in Renaissance Place.

TOPS Report -

Print out after each quiz is completed. TOPS stands for The Opportunity to Praise Students.

Go over each quiz after the student finishes to monitor progress. If student continues to make 100%, then either raise the reading level a bit or challenge them with longer books. The optimum level is to be at 85%. If the student always makes 100, it's too easy.

Diagnostic Report

This report allows you to see a diagnostic of the student's results on the Star Reading Test. This is great to go over because it has suggestions of what the students needs. Great to share with parents.

Student Report

 

Book Genre Checklist

This checklist can be used to help students keep up with the various genres they have read. Make sure they read a variety.

Teacher and Student Created Reading Log (AR Tracking - Pittman)

This reading log was designed by Mrs. Pittman and her class. They bring the form on a clipoard to the media center and write down the books they check out. This is a good way for them to keep up with the books they have and what they have read and what they made.
Mrs. McCoy has used an index card for several years. Her students keep up with their books by writing down what they check out on their index card.

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AR Quick Tips

• Set appropriate INDIVIDUAL Goals - have high expectations
  
  
• Monitor progress DAILY!
  
  
• Students MUST READ IN CLASS EVERY DAY!
  • Read to students
  • Listen to students read
  • Conference with students - at least once a week
    
    
• Reward in small increments
  • Go over TOPS Report. Skittle for every 100 (Mary)
  • 1st Bell Pull up Class List - for everyone who got 100 today - they get a Skittle (Katie)
  • Lunch in classroom with teachers when they meet certain goals (Mary)
  • popsicles on Friday for meeting weekly goals
  • Recess for Readers (3-5 grade)
    • Put the week's percentage goal in the cloud on the board. Kids KNOW what their goal is. Keeps them on track!
  • Non-candy ideas: sticker, bookmark, earn points for treasure box, etc.
    
    
• Communication with Parents!!
  • Use the agenda to inform parents of progress or how much they should read each night. Parents write back how much they read...
  • Use conferences to explain goals and how important it is to read every single night.
  • Once a week print out a weekly report of what the kids have read.
  • If parents have internet access, they can log in and see exactly what their child is doing. Home Access allows parents to sign up to receive emails when their child takes a quiz, they can see the bookself of books read in the past, and are able to monitor from anywhere they have internet access.
    
    

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