On 6/03/09, Tom wrote:
>
> I disagree. Lets see, if you win a Sport, you get a Trophy/Ring. If
> you win a spelling bee you get a Trophy. In track and field you get
> ribbons for 1st, 2nd, 3rd place. Does your same stace still hold true
> for these reward programs too? I guess I will choose to play football
> over band as I get a reward if we win? Or I will enter the Spelling
> Bee Contest to win a trophy? But I suppose, I don't learn anything
> along the way since all I care about is the trophy.

It concerns me that teachers believe students need prizes in order to
read. What happens when you remove the prizes. I have refused to use AR
with my students (within an AR school). At the beginning of the year my
students cannot believe that they will be able to read any book they want
and even REREAD it if they choose to. My students (3rd) are able to read
from their books indenpendently 30-40 min. a day. My room is silent
during this time (except for my conferencing with indvidual students),
the students are "in the zone" (Nancie Atwell). If we need to miss our
independent reading time due to an assembly or other conflicts, the
students want to negotiate another time for their independent reading. My
students do not stop reading in the middle of the month because they have
reached their AR goal (as is the complaint of many AR teachers).
And when I conference with them they are able to refer to their book
during our discussion. And I never ask simple recall questions. We
discuss the book as I would discuss an incredible book with a friend.
I teach my students how to select a book at their level. That is an
essential reading skill. When they go into Barnes and Noble they do not
have an AR sticker on the spine with levels identified inside. We discuss
our reading diets, many books at our level, some books below our level
(just because we like the book and want to read it) and a few books above
our level (many nonfiction books are at a higher level, but if a student
is passionate about the topic they are able to read parts and grow as a
reader).
>
> Are you suggesting because of the "rewards that points lead to", kids
> don't actually have a joy for reading? Reading is the reward! Sure,
> some care about points or levels when CHOOSING a book. But along the
> way they may learn a thing or two about a topic or a author/story that
> they enjoy as well. The connection they make with the book is the
> key, not the searching mechanics to get them there. How can AR be the
> issue if kids are in the livrary looking for a AR book? They could be
> at home playing video games or getting into trouble. I guess if AR
> had a quiz for every book in your library that your story about AR may
> be different? AR seems like a motivational tool that in the end they
> can show their parents how good they did. I see nothing robotic about
> that.
>

I can think of many examples of how AR has damaged students love of
reading, but the most heart wrenching example were my own two nieces.
They have always loved books and reading. The only gifts they recieved
from me were books. Well... once their school started AR the first words
out of their mouths when they opened my gifts were,"Are these on the AR
list at our school?" And if they weren't they were set aside for summer
reading, but that never happened because they grew to hate reading and
only did it to meet their goal.
I have never had a student come into my classroom with a love of reading
thanks to AR. And I'd like to ask you this, how many books would you read
if you had to take a test every time and you could only read the books
which had AR tests available? And then if you failed the test and didn't
make your point goal, you missed out on the carmel rolls in the lounge
and had to go to the library and read another AR book while your
collegues socialized and had a good time. Let's punish our struggling
readers with reading. SCARY!!! but it happens continuously.
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