TitleIII Learning Experience

Learning Context | Procedure | Instructional/Environmental Modifications | Time Required | Resources | Assessment Plan | Student Work | Reflection

LEARNING CONTEXT

Purpose or Focus of Experience

To introduce Accelerated Reader as a tool to test comprehension of fiction books read.

Connection to Standards

 English Language Arts: Standard 1: Language for Information and Understanding

1. Listening and reading to acquire information and understanding involves collecting data, facts, and ideas, discovering relationships, concepts, and generalizations, and using knowledge from oral, written and electronic resources.

Essential Question

 Why is reading important?

Why is it important to comprehend what you are reading?

Content Knowledge: Declarative, Procedural

Students will be able to use the Media Center to browse and select a book to read.

 Students will be able to read a story at their appropriate reading level.

PROCEDURE
(Chronologically ordered description of all teacher & student activities and interactions.)

As part of this project, students choose a book together with their ninth grade buddy to read.

The second grader and the ninth grader read the book together aloud twice. 

Each student comes individually to the Media Center or the Computer Lab to take a quiz on the Accelerated Reader Program. The Accelerated Reader program tests the student's comprehension of a story, and depending on their score, assigns points.

INSTRUCTIONAL/ENVIRONMENTAL MODIFICATIONS

 Students choose books appropriate to their individual reading levels. Every student can participate in this project, and accrue points at their own level. Depending on the student’s independent reading level, they may read the test to themselves and answer the questions, or the quiz might be read aloud by the ninth grade buddy or a staff member. The Accelerated Reader quizzes are designed and written on the same reading level as the literature being tested.. Listening comprehension may be measured as well as reading comprehension.

TIME REQUIRED

Time required includes the time to read the story several times, as well as about 5-10 minutes to complete the Accelerated Reader quiz on the computer. Time may be adapted to suit individual needs. This time requirement assumes the student has learned how to access the Accelerated Reader program at another time. Presently, this is taught through the Media Center.

RESOURCES

Literature chosen from the Media Center by the second grade student and the 9^th grade buddy.

 Library Media Center, Accelerated Reader Program installed on the network with plenty of selections available for students at varying reading levels.

ASSESSMENT PLAN
(Include samples of rubrics, checklists, etc.)

 Accelerated Reader has an Assessment plan built into the program. Students need to perform correctly at least at 60% proficiency before any points are given. Points earned depend on the difficulty of the book and the number of questions answered correctly on the quiz. This tracks student’s reading progress both in terms of the number of books read and the comprehension level achieved.

STUDENT WORK
(Include samples of student work showing different levels of performance.)

 See Power Point Attachments - 2 sample projects have been included.

REFLECTION

During the first year of its inception, Accelerated Reader has been very well received by students and teachers alike. We have continued to add new programs and books to the collection. Interest remains high – we can only hope it continues!

The connection between the ninth graders and the second graders is a very positive one. We would like to continue this project as time allows.