Most Tuesday nights of the school year, my school’s library is open from 4:30-7:30 for students and families to come in to read books and take Accelerated Reader tests. This Tuesday night program is and has been a huge success as most Tuesdays we average about 200 people. Since I am the LRC director, I’m here every Tuesday watching families spend quality time together away from the television and video games. Over the years I’ve watched our youngest students grow from being dependent readers to independent readers! A part of the Accelerated Reader or AR program is that students earn points after taking a test on the computer for a book they have read. Students get very excited when they reach their points because it means they get a certificate, have their name announced on our daily broadcast, see their name hung on the walls around our library as well as having their name printed in our school newsletter. Sometimes I hear criticism that the Accelerated Reader program “bribes” students because they are not reading for enjoyment only for the points. Bribing . . . I say maybe we are “hooking” them and giving them small rewards for his or her efforts! In fact, what is the difference between reading for points, reading for pizza certificates or reading for Six Flags Great America tickets? And by the way . . . don’t we all like to receive rewards? :-) Think about those points we earn for airline tickets, restaurants, hotels, groceries . . . need I go on? My feeling is . . . at least students are reading for goodness sakes! I have students on a daily basis telling me how great this book is or can I order more books by a certain author . . . Is the AR program perfect, maybe not, but heck is anything perfect? And . . . I like to think that just maybe . . . in time children will not be looking for the fish at the end of the hook . . . but rather a new author or new series to feed their imagination and love of books!
That family night must be the real magic!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you have so many families who take advantage of the opportunity to come to the library. Here's my problem with AR, students won't read certain books because it doesn't have enough points or when they say "I can't read that because it's below my level." Don't we all like to have an easy read, something just for the fun of it?
ReplyDeleteSometimes small bribes work. I neglected to mention the "Book It" Program that I took part in when I was in 6th grade in the Nerdy Book Club Post I wrote about my reading life (yesterday). (You can read it by going to http://nerdybookclub.wordpress.com/2012/10/08/the-ups-and-downs-of-my-reading-life-by-stacey-shubitz/.) We got free pizza at Pizza Hut for every number (5?) books we read and reported on. I recall reading a lot more for pleasure that year. However, the enthusiasm didn't last. I guess the real question is how to we keep young people engaged with reading when there's nothing in it, except the joy of a good book, for them?
ReplyDeleteI don't know all the ins and outs of the program, but to my thinking if you can get Mom & Dad to come with the kids, it's got to be a starting point. And hopefully that seed will be planted to want to read more and more without being "bribed".
ReplyDeleteFamily night at the library. Sounds fun! Some of my fondest memories are of my mom taking us to the library. I can still, 45 years later, feel the joy of laying on my stomach, on the brown carpet, looking at the bottom shelf full of biographies trying to decide which of them I'd take home that night.
ReplyDeleteI love, love, love to hear about all the families spending time together at school reading. Such a celebration! You are right, incentives work for a time and hook some readers. I think choice is so important and students can be limited if it's not in their level. My frustration? I think AR was overemphasized to focus only on the points (ie setting point goals) and we are trying to change that thinking with teachers to focus on the reading and choice. The research is clear that reading books isn't a priority for students in junior high and high school, nor an activity the kids want to do. One main reason: They don't have choice. As we move forward, we should be so proud as we are spreading the love of reading with a few bonuses along the way. :) Happy reading!
ReplyDeleteLynn,
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of having family reading night at the library! That is fantastic! You are very dedicated for managing it and having the opportunity to grow readers (whether for AR or not) they still come and they are reading-you're exposing them to stories they might not choose otherwise...like Pete the Cat says, "It's all good!"