DADvocate

The school system my two youngest children attend uses the Accelerated Reader (AR) program. In this program the students take a "Star" test to determine their reading level. Then they select books to read based upon their reading level. AR has a list of approved books with a readability level assigned to each. Students must read books within a certain range of their reading level. After finishing the book, students take a computerized test and must score at least a 70% to receive any credit for reading the book.

All of this is good and well, what bothers me is the point system used. Students are assigned reading goals. The goals are based on points. Each book is worth a certain number of points based upon the books length and difficulty. The better readers must read a great deal more than the poorer readers to reach their goals. My son mentioned the other day that his reading goal is 40 points and that some people in his class have goals of only 4 points. Yet, they receive the same credit towards their overall reading grade for reaching their goal. Hardly seems fair.

Since my children are excellent readers their goals reach the higher more difficult levels. The quantity they must read leaves little time for enjoyable reading. I believe the use of the program actually has damaged their enjoyment of reading. Because books must be on the list as well as available in the school library, finding desirable reading material may be a difficult task. This is especially true for my son, who prefers non-fiction.

Over the years, according to my children, some beat the system by deliberately scoring low in the Star test in order to have goals with fewer points. Hardly the motivation to read that you would want. My children's enthusiasm for the school reading program certainly wanes.

While I can't deny that the schools have done a good job of teaching my children to read (but everyone in my family, immediate and extended, reads well), I worry that they have taken the fun out of it. The constant pressure to achieve a goal makes it too much like work. I also wonder if AR isn't a crutch for teachers and an educational system that doesn't want to do the work of teaching.

While I loved reading from the start, I learned a new level of enjoyment from my 8th grade English teacher who explained symbolism, metaphors, analogies, etc. She would help us see deeper into what was written. Her enthusiasm was contagious. Although I continued in school to earn a M.S., I still consider her the best teacher I ever had, by far.

Kids seem to be learning the mechanics of reading but neither the love of reading nor the appreciation of literature that only comes from discussion with a learned person. But much of this may also be a result of the accountability and "no child left behind" pressures. My children's schools rank in the top 10% in Kentucky. But are they really learning or just learning to do well on the tests?