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Monday, December 2, 2013

Lunch With My Word Wizards

We got AR for the first time this year and I'm still not sure how I feel about it. I want my kiddos to love reading. I want them to read books that they chose to read. I want them to think reading is fun. I don't want them to read just to take quizzes and answer questions. However....it has inspired some of my kiddos to read at least a book every day-a choice they often make over doing workstation activities. I've been making extra trips to the library looking for stories I think they will enjoy, classics like: Dinosaurs Love Underpants and Glamsters (glamorous hamsters:). I have seen a jump in fluency, I truly believe because they are reading more. Even if it starts out wanting to win more points, it does seem to be helping with their skills.

I just don't know what to do with my struggling readers, for whom even the lower goals seem daunting.



With her stack of books to read.


They have not taken off their crowns. :)


I had 5 kids who scored over 20 points (miraculous I think, considering all their books are worth 1/2 a point). So we came up with a title for them "Word Wizards" and I ate lunch with them today in the classroom complete with brownies and diet root beer. I wish I could do this more often-we had the most entertaining conversation. Let me recap:

"I watched Tron last night-their electric bill must be really high!"
" Santa has a long beard", "beer?"
"How do mosquitoes get the West Nile Virus to give to us?"
"Let's make a toast-to Word Wizards and football"

Gotta love 'em.

If anyone has any suggestions of how they track AR points or how they work it with their struggling readers-I would love to hear any ideas you may have.







3 comments :

  1. Hello, Miss Trayers! I used AR in 3rd grade last year and I collected ideas on my pinterest board here: http://www.pinterest.com/mrscowan/reading-incentives/
    I ended up using this tracking board http://www.pinterest.com/pin/54254370482776695/
    which my kiddos LOVED.
    I used this incentive chart and changed up some of the goodies
    http://www.pinterest.com/pin/54254370482776601/
    And in their data folders, they recorded the title and what not on a form a lot like this:
    http://www.pinterest.com/pin/54254370482776609/

    I hope that helps. I know I felt kind of eh about the AR tests at first, but it really challenged some of my kiddos and it helped them with reading comprehension. I let my lower readers use the book to find the answers which I backed up with my administrator by explaining on the state test they could use the text to find their answers. :)

    Hope this helps!

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  2. Thank you so much Christina! I really appreciate all the suggestions-I have already found some things I can use that I know my kiddos will love. I had not thought of letting them use the book for answers-that might really help. Thanks again! :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Your lunch sounds delightful:)
    Sorry...I've never used AR. Don't even really know what is it. Good luck!

    ReplyDelete