ACCELERATED READER Reading Program

Dear Families~

First grade is full of many challenges. Learning to read takes great effort by all: teacher, parents, and children. Thomas Edison participates in a great program that will help ensure reading success for your children if you both get involved and make reading a top priority in your home. The ACCELERATED READER program is not optional in our classroom and I will be discussing your children’s test scores with you at conference time later in November. Please don’t wait until then, however, if you have any questions. Your child will be bringing home an AR book from the library.

The ACCELERATED READER Reading Program will soon be active in Camp Cronce! (Watch the weekly parent letter for more details.) Upon returning from our first visit to the library, your children will have in their back packs an Accelerated Reader book to work on. For a successful test score, your children may need to be exposed to this book at least three times in order to get a good comprehension of its story. I suggest the following: You read it once to your children, you both read it once together, and possibly they will read it once to you. If your children have difficulty reading the book selected, please DO NOT pressure them to continue reading it to you. These A.R. tests are based on the COMPREHENSION of the story, not on your children’s ability to read it. Quiz your students on the happenings of the story. For example: “That was a great Berenstein Bears book, but I wonder if you can tell me what the name of the cubs’ new puppy was?” Questions such as this one will be asked of your children when they take their test on the computer. (These tests consist of 5-10 comprehension questions that will be read to your children about the book they chose.) As your children accumulate points for correct answers, they will receive pencils, pins, school recognition, and even an ice cream party with friends! Just for reading???? Wow!

When your children are ready to take an AR test, remind them to tell me. Students will be called back one at a time and tested during reading centers in the morning. Each Friday, we will be graphing the total points your campers have earned. Be sure to watch their camp folders for it!

Also, children can test on as many AR books as they like. When they’re finished testing on a book, I will send home one from my personal AR collection in the classroom. (You’ll know the book belongs to our classroom by the fluorescent green sticker on the cover. Also, the point value will be indicated on it.)

As always, if you have any questions, please contact me. This program has my full endorsement as I have seen it turn struggling readers into successful ones, beginning readers into ones who have more fluency, and proficient readers into ones who will be challenged. It really is a “Good Fit” program!

Mrs. Cronce