Page 12 - Priorities #9 1999-March

Academics
The more a student reads, the more he or she WILL read. It’s not hard to see why. As with any skill, improvement comes with practice. Vocabulary grows, ability to concentrate and remember improves, speed increases and reading becomes more enjoyable.
Students even improve in ability to fit more reading time into each day, using odd moments and keeping a current book within easy reach.
It’s true at any age. For middle school students, though, this upward spiral is essential. It builds skills they will need in virtually every high school and college course. Even students who are accomplished and willing readers - and that describes most of our middle school students - need practice in managing large quantities of difficult material.
Two years ago, we augmented our English curriculum with a directed, personal program called Accelerated Reading. Kim Heffernan, who teaches a Sixth Grade Core class and Eighth Grade English, administers the Accelerated Reading program and is most familiar with its impact. So far, it’s a huge success. We see many more students choosing to read for recreation, turning on to an author’s work, discussing their favorite books with friends, and coming back for more.
Accelerated Reading is computer based. It starts by providing a database of more than 1,000 books ranked by skill level through grade 13. We have more than 500 of the books available at school. Each book has a computer-based follow-up test of 10-20 questions. Students’ book choices and tests are recorded and saved in a teacher report.
Students can choose any book they want but if they don’t pass the test they don’t earn reading points and they have to try again. “Points” translate into goodies from the “reading store.” In fact, the goodies aren’t as important to the students as the knowledge that they’ve taken on a high-points book and won!
In class, students read and use the computer every week. But they can’t complete the minimum requirements of 150 pages per quarter in sixth grade, 200 in seventh and 250 in eighth without using out-
of-class time as well. Herein lies the time management training.
Accelerated Reading results are tabulated quarterly - a time span long enough for students to get a feel for time management but short enough that they usually are not completely overwhelmed if they procrastinated. It isn’t a disaster when they fall short but it is a good wake-up call. Students who have never done so before begin to focus on their reading pace. From that knowledge comes more successful time planning.
From a young teen’s point of view, thought and attention to detail are required to get all the variables organized. The whole middle school faculty helps. For example, students know they should keep their book with them because, periodically, any teacher might spontaneously provide accelerated reading time. Students who forget their books can’t take advantage of these “found” opportunities.
Students like to be in charge of their own lives. This program gives them independence and control, coupled with warnings and feedback for course correction.
The Middle School teachers think they see a measurable difference in reading and organizational skill. Wewillbeabletomeasurethisprogresswith tests we began administering this past fall. They are standardized reading skills tests with some differences from the state-mandated program. The questions automatically adjust to each student’s ability level, starting with questions that encourage a feeling of success and stopping when the questions obviously are becoming too hard. The tests are short but given up to five times a year. The same test can be given over several years, making it possible to see patterns and measure progress over time.
These test results will be far more accurate and useful in measuring real abilities or shortfalls and real progress.
We already see the other kind of progress - evidence that they have caught the reading bug. We see students snatching every spare minute to read a wonderful story they can’t put down.
Accelerating Reading
Marianne Stoner
Director of the Middle School
Even accomplished readers need practice in managing large quantities of difficult material.
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