Accelerated Reader (AR)

The Accelerated Reader (AR) program is designed to increase students’ reading fluency as well as to create a desire to read and a love for books. The AR program will be set up in the following way in Mrs. Tullis’s class:

· All 8th grade students will be required to read both in class and outside of class. · Students will have scheduled library days every third Friday but are free to go to the library during English class after finishing a book. · Students may not read or take a test on a book they have previously read. · All books must be approved by me. I will keep a registry for all students and the books they are reading. · Students will be required to read and take a test every three weeks. · Every other three-week period students will be given the first ten minutes of the period to read their AR book. · The first ten minutes of reading will be counted as a daily grade at twenty points per day (20 points per day X 5 days a week = 100 for a daily grade). In order to get full credit, students must come to class with the approved book and read for the entire ten minutes. Points will be deducted for not coming to class with a registered AR book and/or for not reading for the entire time. · For the other three weeks, students must read outside of class only. However, homework during this time will be limited. (Exception: Advanced English will have a regular homework load at all times.) · AR tests will be taken by computer in the library or in the classroom and will be weighed as a test grade. · Students will also be required to bring their AR book to other classes to read after they are finished with their work and/or during free time. This includes Chap Team Time.

*Mrs. Tullis reserves the right to change any of the program requirements in order to best serve the needs of her students. ------(cut here)------

Please read and sign the following statement. All signatures are due on Friday, August 26, 2011, and will serve as a 100 in the grade book. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

Student: I, ______, agree to the terms of the AR program and will do my best to follow the guidelines above. Student Signature: ______Date: ______Parent/Guardian: I, ______, agree to the terms of the AR program and will do my best to help my child follow the guidelines above. Parent Signature: ______Date:______FAQ’s for AR in Mrs. Tullis’s Class

Q: May I read a book that I have already read? A: No. You cannot read a book that you have previously read.

Q: May I take tests on books I read during the summer? A: Yes, but they will only count toward your AR goals, not for the three-week deadlines for my class. The same will be true when we return from Christmas break. Everyone starts fresh every semester.

Q: May I read any book I want? A: The books you read must be approved by me. I will keep a registry for every student, and it will list every book you read. The books don’t have to be on a certain grade level, but they have to be chapter books and cannot contain pictures. I will also not approve books such as Goosebumps or Junie B. Jones.

Q: What happens if I read a book I did not register? A: You will not get credit for an unapproved book. Also, I will not register a book I have not seen. You can’t just tell me about a book you are reading at home; I have to see it.

Q: May I get books from other libraries or from home? A: Yes, as long as you have not read them already, and they are books you know I would approve. They also must have an AR test. To find out, look on my website and click on the link that says, “Does Your Book Have an AR Test?” **Remember: All books must be registered, so if you get one from the public library, you need to bring it to class so that I can write it down.

Q: When are the deadlines? A: The deadlines are every third Friday, usually the same day we go the library. They will be posted on my website by the second week of school. I will also have them posted in the classroom.

Q: What if I don’t take a test by the deadline? A: The grade will be a zero for a test.

Q: May I make up a zero on an AR test? A: Yes, as long as the deadline doesn’t fall on the week report card grades are due. Report card grades are final; therefore, that grade cannot be made up. **Remember: if you get behind on AR, you will have less time to read for your next deadline.**

Q: May I get ahead on my reading? A: Yes, up until the semester. In January, everyone starts fresh.

Q: May I make up a test that I failed? A: Yes, as long as you are ahead on your reading. For example, if you have read two books within a three-week period, I will take the higher of the two grades.

***I know this seems like a lot, but the routine is really simple: Register a book → Read it → Take a test (Repeat every three weeks)