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Accelerated Reader Chatboard

consider that parents are sincerely concerned

by middle school mom

Jan 15, 2010

lease consider for a moment that parents, who seek information and arrive at this board after Googling "accelerated reader," may be sincere when they are moved to post, "I think AR, or at least the way AR is implemented in my child's school, is creating a problem where one never existed before. Does anyone else see this?"

Many important distinctions were lost in the previous post (by "to middle school mom"), which stands as a classic example of a chilling "teach them so they can go to work" approach to education. (Huh? It's okay to write off some students, really just force them to read for now, because they could become financial planners who don't care to read when they leave school? Is this what we aspire to?)

Lost in the discussion are crucial differences between in- class reading instruction and in-class reading practice, between in-school reading and at-home reading, between students who love to pick up a book (and already read a lot) and students who need extra...See Morelease consider for a moment that parents, who seek information and arrive at this board after Googling "accelerated reader," may be sincere when they are moved to post, "I think AR, or at least the way AR is implemented in my child's school, is creating a problem where one never existed before. Does anyone else see this?"

Many important distinctions were lost in the previous post (by "to middle school mom"), which stands as a classic example of a chilling "teach them so they can go to work" approach to education. (Huh? It's okay to write off some students, really just force them to read for now, because they could become financial planners who don't care to read when they leave school? Is this what we aspire to?)

Lost in the discussion are crucial differences between in- class reading instruction and in-class reading practice, between in-school reading and at-home reading, between students who love to pick up a book (and already read a lot) and students who need extra encouragement, between actual reading and the AR quiz database (designed by a company, not educators) and more.

There seems to be an attitude among some teachers that "anything that gets 'em to read" is okay. With all due respect to the noble profession of teaching -- um, no, it's actually not okay to use any means necessary, applied any way a school sees fit.

I can't in good conscience apply the "whip" of our school's graded AR reading parameters to my child in my own home when they already frequently pick up books voluntarily and freely, with no interference from me.

Please indulge an analogy. Say my child has come to love eating vegetables through years of careful, loving parental encouragement. Now a school or some other entity says, "Families, this year students need to keep track of their vegetable consumption at home. Make sure you base your choices on the nutritional value as determined by the corporate database we buy rights to with your tax dollars. Hand in your vegetable reports four times a quarter. This will be part of your grade."

Yes reading is important, no one is saying it isn't. But isn't "managing reading" this way really about feeding the "accountability" beast, not what is best for our children in the long run?

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please consider the teachers are professionals and also care What part is it is a SUPPLEMENT to the regular reading curriculum is it that you do not get? No school solely uses AR for the total reading curriculum that I know of and for our shcool it is a mere 10%. That means 90% of the grade and intruction is not AR. You seem to know more than anyone else so perhaps home schooling is an option for your family...See MoreWhat part is it is a SUPPLEMENT to the regular reading curriculum is it that you do not get? No school solely uses AR for the total reading curriculum that I know of and for our shcool it is a mere 10%. That means 90% of the grade and intruction is not AR. You seem to know more than anyone else so perhaps home schooling is an option for your family.

On 1/15/10, middle school mom wrote: > Please consider for a moment that parents, who seek > information and arrive at this board after > Googling "accelerated reader," may be sincere when they are > moved to post, "I think AR, or at least the way AR is > implemented in my child's school, is creating a problem > where one never existed before. Does anyone else see this?" > > Many important distinctions were lost in the previous post > (by "to middle school mom"), which stands as a classic > example of a chilling "teach them so they can go to work" > approach to education. (Huh? It's okay to write off some > students, really just force them to read for now, because > they could become financial planners who don't care to read > when they leave school? Is this what we aspire to?) > > Lost in the discussion are crucial differences between in- > class reading instruction and in-class reading practice, > between in-school reading and at-home reading, between > students who love to pick up a book (and already read a > lot) and students who need extra encouragement, between > actual reading and the AR quiz database (designed by a > company, not educators) and more. > > There seems to be an attitude among some teachers > that "anything that gets 'em to read" is okay. With all > due respect to the noble profession of teaching -- um, no, > it's actually not okay to use any means necessary, applied > any way a school sees fit. > > I can't in good conscience apply the "whip" of our school's > graded AR reading parameters to my child in my own home > when they already frequently pick up books voluntarily and > freely, with no interference from me. > > Please indulge an analogy. Say my child has come to love > eating vegetables through years of careful, loving parental > encouragement. Now a school or some other entity > says, "Families, this year students need to keep track of > their vegetable consumption at home. Make sure you base > your choices on the nutritional value as determined by the > corporate database we buy rights to with your tax dollars. > Hand in your vegetable reports four times a quarter. This > will be part of your grade." > > Yes reading is important, no one is saying it isn't. But > isn't "managing reading" this way really about feeding > the "accountability" beast, not what is best for our > children in the long run? >

Jan 15, 2010

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p.s. Yes, I do know how to spell instruction and school. I do apologize for my last sentence. That was not appropriate and just came out due to my furstration. Sorry.

On 1/15/10, please consider the teachers are professionals and also care wrote: > What part is it is a SUPPLEMENT to the regular reading > curriculum is it that you do not g...See MoreYes, I do know how to spell instruction and school. I do apologize for my last sentence. That was not appropriate and just came out due to my furstration. Sorry.

On 1/15/10, please consider the teachers are professionals and also care wrote: > What part is it is a SUPPLEMENT to the regular reading > curriculum is it that you do not get? No school solely uses > AR for the total reading curriculum that I know of and for > our shcool it is a mere 10%. That means 90% of the grade and > intruction is not AR. You seem to know more than anyone else > so perhaps home schooling is an option for your family. > > > On 1/15/10, middle school mom wrote: >> Please consider for a moment that parents, who seek >> information and arrive at this board after >> Googling "accelerated reader," may be sincere when they are >> moved to post, "I think AR, or at least the way AR is >> implemented in my child's school, is creating a problem >> where one never existed before. Does anyone else see this?" >> >> Many important distinctions were lost in the previous post >> (by "to middle school mom"), which stands as a classic >> example of a chilling "teach them so they can go to work" >> approach to education. (Huh? It's okay to write off some >> students, really just force them to read for now, because >> they could become financial planners who don't care to read >> when they leave school? Is this what we aspire to?) >> >> Lost in the discussion are crucial differences between in- >> class reading instruction and in-class reading practice, >> between in-school reading and at-home reading, between >> students who love to pick up a book (and already read a >> lot) and students who need extra encouragement, between >> actual reading and the AR quiz database (designed by a >> company, not educators) and more. >> >> There seems to be an attitude among some teachers >> that "anything that gets 'em to read" is okay. With all >> due respect to the noble profession of teaching -- um, no, >> it's actually not okay to use any means necessary, applied >> any way a school sees fit. >> >> I can't in good conscience apply the "whip" of our school's >> graded AR reading parameters to my child in my own home >> when they already frequently pick up books voluntarily and >> freely, with no interference from me. >> >> Please indulge an analogy. Say my child has come to love >> eating vegetables through years of careful, loving parental >> encouragement. Now a school or some other entity >> says, "Families, this year students need to keep track of >> their vegetable consumption at home. Make sure you base >> your choices on the nutritional value as determined by the >> corporate database we buy rights to with your tax dollars. >> Hand in your vegetable reports four times a quarter. This >> will be part of your grade." >> >> Yes reading is important, no one is saying it isn't. But >> isn't "managing reading" this way really about feeding >> the "accountability" beast, not what is best for our >> children in the long run? >>

Jan 15, 2010

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veggie lover Just think of all the kids who never had vegetables before who will now be trying some at school because their parents don't lovingly feed any vegetables to them at home. All they get it junk food. Or where they once only ate carrots, now they are trying spinich, brussel sprouts etc.?

On 1/15/10, middle school mom wrote: > Please consi...See MoreJust think of all the kids who never had vegetables before who will now be trying some at school because their parents don't lovingly feed any vegetables to them at home. All they get it junk food. Or where they once only ate carrots, now they are trying spinich, brussel sprouts etc.?

On 1/15/10, middle school mom wrote: > Please consider for a moment that parents, who seek > information and arrive at this board after > Googling "accelerated reader," may be sincere when they are > moved to post, "I think AR, or at least the way AR is > implemented in my child's school, is creating a problem > where one never existed before. Does anyone else see this?" > > Many important distinctions were lost in the previous post > (by "to middle school mom"), which stands as a classic > example of a chilling "teach them so they can go to work" > approach to education. (Huh? It's okay to write off some > students, really just force them to read for now, because > they could become financial planners who don't care to read > when they leave school? Is this what we aspire to?) > > Lost in the discussion are crucial differences between in- > class reading instruction and in-class reading practice, > between in-school reading and at-home reading, between > students who love to pick up a book (and already read a > lot) and students who need extra encouragement, between > actual reading and the AR quiz database (designed by a > company, not educators) and more. > > There seems to be an attitude among some teachers > that "anything that gets 'em to read" is okay. With all > due respect to the noble profession of teaching -- um, no, > it's actually not okay to use any means necessary, applied > any way a school sees fit. > > I can't in good conscience apply the "whip" of our school's > graded AR reading parameters to my child in my own home > when they already frequently pick up books voluntarily and > freely, with no interference from me. > > Please indulge an analogy. Say my child has come to love > eating vegetables through years of careful, loving parental > encouragement. Now a school or some other entity > says, "Families, this year students need to keep track of > their vegetable consumption at home. Make sure you base > your choices on the nutritional value as determined by the > corporate database we buy rights to with your tax dollars. > Hand in your vegetable reports four times a quarter. This > will be part of your grade." > > Yes reading is important, no one is saying it isn't. But > isn't "managing reading" this way really about feeding > the "accountability" beast, not what is best for our > children in the long run? >

Jan 15, 2010

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middle school mom Dear veggie lover,

Please read my post again, I think you misunderstood the analogy, especially the difference between reading at home and reading in school.

Our family's main concern is that our middle school forces our children, who already love reading, to prove to their teachers that they read on their own time at home by requ...See MoreDear veggie lover,

Please read my post again, I think you misunderstood the analogy, especially the difference between reading at home and reading in school.

Our family's main concern is that our middle school forces our children, who already love reading, to prove to their teachers that they read on their own time at home by requiring them to take simplistic AR fact recall quizzes developed by a company, not by educators. The school then factors each raw score into students' English/language arts grades, no matter how long it's been since our kids finished a book. Sounds simple, but there are unintended, negative consequences.

From what I have gleaned here, our school is using AR wrong. Unfortunately, no one at the school seems to care, and the school will not let our children opt out, so we have had to research AR/Renaissance Learning and bring our concerns about the soundness of this approach to the local school board. This is where it stands now.

Please entice, cajole, coax reluctant students to read in your classroom. Draw them into a world of books. Of course that is your job. The more readers in our world the better.

But please don't make the mistake of thinking that forcing an AR program on all students is harmless. My kids read are reading here at home, as I write this, precisely because they are not nagged to do it. There is a body of professional literacy research out there that says: provide books and time to read, model reading, share your enthusiasm and you will see results. Don't buy into simple fixes hoping to save students from non- reading households. Bribes (trinkets and pizza parties) and threats (do it our way or your grades will suffer) are short- term solutions that can cause long-term damage.

On 1/15/10, veggie lover wrote: > Just think of all the kids who never had vegetables before > who will now be trying some at school because their parents > don't lovingly feed any vegetables to them at home. All they > get it junk food. Or where they once only ate carrots, now > they are trying spinich, brussel sprouts etc.? > > > On 1/15/10, middle school mom wrote: >> Please consider for a moment that parents, who seek >> information and arrive at this board after >> Googling "accelerated reader," may be sincere when they are >> moved to post, "I think AR, or at least the way AR is >> implemented in my child's school, is creating a problem >> where one never existed before. Does anyone else see this?" >> >> Many important distinctions were lost in the previous post >> (by "to middle school mom"), which stands as a classic >> example of a chilling "teach them so they can go to work" >> approach to education. (Huh? It's okay to write off some >> students, really just force them to read for now, because >> they could become financial planners who don't care to read >> when they leave school? Is this what we aspire to?) >> >> Lost in the discussion are crucial differences between in- >> class reading instruction and in-class reading practice, >> between in-school reading and at-home reading, between >> students who love to pick up a book (and already read a >> lot) and students who need extra encouragement, between >> actual reading and the AR quiz database (designed by a >> company, not educators) and more. >> >> There seems to be an attitude among some teachers >> that "anything that gets 'em to read" is okay. With all >> due respect to the noble profession of teaching -- um, no, >> it's actually not okay to use any means necessary, applied >> any way a school sees fit. >> >> I can't in good conscience apply the "whip" of our school's >> graded AR reading parameters to my child in my own home >> when they already frequently pick up books voluntarily and >> freely, with no interference from me. >> >> Please indulge an analogy. Say my child has come to love >> eating vegetables through years of careful, loving parental >> encouragement. Now a school or some other entity >> says, "Families, this year students need to keep track of >> their vegetable consumption at home. Make sure you base >> your choices on the nutritional value as determined by the >> corporate database we buy rights to with your tax dollars. >> Hand in your vegetable reports four times a quarter. This >> will be part of your grade." >> >> Yes reading is important, no one is saying it isn't. But >> isn't "managing reading" this way really about feeding >> the "accountability" beast, not what is best for our >> children in the long run? >>

Jan 15, 2010

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