CTry Accelerated Reader Extensive

Monitoring Extensive Reading - Accelerated Reader (AR) 

It was great to see my students already making some small shifts in their reading, and those little shifts told me that perhaps independent extensive reading was beginning to effect their comprehension. I needed to ensure that they continued to read extensively using AR, and that they continue to read using the best practices of AR. These practices are - they do in-class silent reading at least 20 minutes every day, they read at the right levels of books (right ZPDs) every time they read a book, and to achieve at the ideal percent of 85 - 95% after oing a quiz on every book read. As soon as they finish a quiz online, the percent is shown to them. This ideal percent indicates a good level of comprehension they had when they read that book and that book was not too easy or too difficult for them, or they were reading at the right ZPD. If the was percent was above that ideal and up to 100%, thhen it was great but it indicated that the book read was a bit too easy to the reader. If the percent was below 80% then they still passed the quiz but the level was a bit too difficult. 

The percent correct at the end of each quiz will determine the next level of book (or ZPD) that a tudent will choose to borrow and read next. If it's at the ideal level, they need to go to one or two points higher ZPD which is a little bit more difficult book. If it's below 75%, then should go to a lower ZPD or a bit easier book. If it's between these two percent correct, then read the same level of book. AR suggests that that's the ideal way for readers to read, not only that it's unlikely for them to struggle to understand what they read but they tend to enjoy reading more because they comprehend. 

Because the students are responsible for choosing their own books to read, read within the in-class time given, and do the quizzes, they need to be constantly helped and encouraged to do so. I needed to help them develop their self-management skills and sense of responsibility too. They need to be constantly reminded of the importance of reading right.

   











One way I found helpful in convincing them whether they have been responsible in reading right or not was showing them the number of books they have read thus far, the percent correct in quizzes for each book, and their choices of right ZPDs to read from.

   

CTry Monitoring Accelerated Reader

Monitoring - AR Extensive Reading in AR

After the implementation of AR early in term 2, my learners got engaged in their extensive reading.They were independent and responsible for selecting the books they interested to  read and of course according to the best practices of AR. My role in their experience was to ensure they did their reading according to the best practices of AR. The following were important:

• Quantity - That they had the time and more time (mileage) to read daily. They were given one whole period once a week, 20 minutes in the other days. They were also given some times in their English Language Intensive Programme (more time for ELLs to learn English) alongside my English Language (EL) periods. It was also important to ensure that they made good use of that time to read and not being distracted.

• Difficulty - That they borrow the right levels of books (ZPDs) to read. Not only that but they were encouraged to get books of their own interests. It was very important that I checked their APCs every time they read a book and completed the quiz. I made it a practice when they were with me that they showed me their APCs and we agreed on what ZPD to move on to.

• Quality - That they read and had comprehension of what they read. They were consistently reminded of the ideal APC they should have at each quiz. At the same time, they were encouraged to get the right level of book even if they felt unhappy with their APC. 

By the end of term 2, I checked the number of books each learner read as well as the average percent correct they achieved for that number of books. Given below are brief records of number of books each learner read, quizzes passed and failed, and the average % correct each had.

After one week form beginning of term 3, all year 9 and 10, including my learners, sat another STAR test. The purpose of that STAR test was to identify any growth in their extensive reading as in correlation to the reading they have done in AR. The growth was  calculated from the differences in their performances in STAR tests between terms 2 and beginning of term 3. Also given below are information about that growth in reading of each learner.    

Learner 1 (AM):

• Read 15 books altogether 
• Passed only 13 quizzes (the range was 60 - 100%) and failed 2 quizzes (20% & 40%)
• Average percent correct for all those books was 82.7% which was slightly below the ideal % correct of 85 - 95%

Growth:

• 44 points increase in her scaled scores and 4 months increase in her reading age

Learner 2 (DF)

• Read only 12 books altogether 
• Passed 11 quizzes (ranging from 60 - 100%) and the one quiz failed was 40%
• The learner's average percent correct for those was 80.8%, again below the ideal percent 

Growth:

• 15 points dropped in his scaled scores and 2 months drop in his reading age

Learner 3 (KA)

• Read altogether 40 books 
• Passed 35 quizzes (ranging from 60 - 100%) and failed 5 quizzes with % correct ranging from 20 - 40%
• The learner's average percent correct was 81.2% for all those quizzes

Growth: 

• 32 points increase in scale scores and 4 months increase in reading age

Learner 4 (KM) 

• Read altogether 14 books 
• Passed 13 quizzes (ranging from 60 - 100%) and failed 1 quiz at 20%
• The learner's average percent correct was 87.9% for all those quizzes

Growth:

• 89 points increase in scale scores and 9 months increase in reading age

Learner 5 (ST)

• Read altogether 20 books 
• Passed 18 quizzes (ranging from 60 - 100%) and failed 2 quizzes with % correct at 20% and 40%

The learner's average percent correct was 86% for all those quizzes

Growth:

57 points increase in scale scores and 6 months increase in reading age

Reflect:

When I reflected on these results, I came up with the following:

• There is definitely a correlation already between engagement in extensive reading and the shifts or no shifts in the learners' reading
• All these learners were equally given the best practices of quantity and ZPDs to engage in AR, but I feel the differences in the impacts in their reading relate more to the quality or their levels of comprehension.
• The two learners with their APCs within the ideal average % correct in their quizzes indicated their quality of comprehension. This correlated to more increase in their scale scores and reading age. 

The other three APCs were below the ideal % correct, so as their points of increase or drop in their reading

This really tells me that quality of reading or comprehension of what's being read in extensive reading is key to making shifts or increase in reading at all.

I need to incorporate a plan of action to make improvements in how these learners engage morein extensive reading. That will be coming up in my future blogs.     

    

  

CTry Intensive Reading - A Poem

Intensive Reading Intervention

I started another set of reading activities on 'Poetry' as a type of text. It's similar approach to that I used with the narrative text. Some outcomes from my plan overview were incoporated as objectives of these reading activities. Simipar approach will be used when reading some other poems later but with some additional outcomes. 

Text Type	Poetry
Title	I met a dragon face to face
Objectives	To learn  decodings and develop vocabulary as domains of reading comprehension. To develop listening and speaking language skills by reading To introduce learners to some English  language forms To learn how ideas and meanings are arranged in a poem as a text To write a paragraph on theme as a writing output
Activities	Follow the activities given below

I met a dragon face to face link

Jack Prelutsky

I met a dragon face to face

the year when I was ten,

I took a trip to outer space,

I braved a pirate's den,

I wrestled with a wicked troll,

and fought a great white shark,

I trailed a rabbit down a hole,

I hunted for a snark.

I stowed aboard a submarine,

I opened magic doors,

I traveled in a time machine,

and searched for dinosaurs,

I climbed atop a giant's head,

I found a pot of gold,

I did all this in books I read 

when I was ten years old.

Activity 1: Pre-Reading - Vocabulary 

Instructions: 

i) Quickly read through the poem above and highlight 10 - 15 words (you must have at least 10 new words) you do not know their meanings.

ii) Write those words in the first column of the table below.

iii) Go online and learn their pronunciations (if you can’t say them), then find meanings of those words in pictures and put them under column 3 of the table.

iv) Find their meanings and write them under the definition column. 

My New Words
Word	Pronunciation	Picture Meaning	Definition	Sentence

Activity 2: Listening and speaking skills

Instruction:

Listen to the teacher read the poem. Pay attention to the decoding and meanings of words. Create a discussion of the meanings of individual words and phrases used in the poem, At the end students should be able to understand what the poem is about.

Activity 3:  Reading for comprehension

Instruction:

Read the poem again and answer the following questions.

1) What does the pronoun ‘I’ tell you about the narration in the story?

2) Make a list of all the actions that the character ‘I’ does in stanza 1 of the poem.

3) Make a list of all the verbs in stanza 1. Write them at column 2 in the table given below.

Present	Past	Participle	Future
	met		Will meet

4) How old was the ‘I’ when he did those actions in stanza 1?

5) Make a list of all actions the ‘I’ character does in stanza 2.

6) Write down all the verbs in stanza 2. Write them under column 2 in the table above. Add some more rows if needed.

7) How old was the ‘I’ character when he does all actions shown  in stanza 2?

8) What do the following lines from the poem mean?  

‘I did all this in books I read 

when I was ten years old.’

9) Theme: What is the idea or theme you learned from the story?

10) Explain the story in a visual language

I met a dragon face to face

11) Writing

       Write an essay on the following idea

       Topic: Reading is important

Some Students' Work

Student 2

I met a dragon face to face link

Jack Prelutsky

I met a dragon face to face

the year when I was ten,

I took a trip to outer space,

I braved a pirate's den,

I wrestled with a wicked troll,

and fought a great white shark,

I trailed a rabbit down a hole,

I hunted for a snark.

I stowed aboard a submarine,

I opened magic doors,

I traveled in a time machine,

and searched for dinosaurs,

I climbed atop a giant's head,

I found a pot of gold,

I did all this in books I read 

when I was ten years old.

Read the poem and answer these questions

1) What does the pronoun ‘I’ about the story narrated in the story?

The pronoun I indicates a first-person pronoun that tells or narrates the story

2) Make a list of all actions the character ‘I’ does in stanza 1 of the poem.

I took a trip to outer of space 

I met the dragon face to  face 
I wrestled with a wicked troll
I hunted for a snark
Braved a pirates den
I trailed a rabbit down a hole
And fought a great white shark

3) Make a list of all the verbs in stanza 1. Write them at column 2 in the table given below.

Present	Past	Participle
meet/meets	met	met
eat	ate	eaten
take/takes	took	taken
Brave	Braved	Braved
wrestle/wrestles	Wrestled	Wrestled
fight/fights	Fought	Fought
trail/trails	Trainled	Trainled
Hunt /hunts	Hunted	Hunted
stow/stows	Stowed	Stowed
open/opens	Opened	opened
travel/travels	traveled	Traveled
search	Searched	searched
find/finds	Found	Found
Is	Was

4) How old was the ‘I’ when he did those actions in stanza 1?

The I was ten year old when he did those actions in stanza 1

5) Make a list of all actions the ‘I’ character does in stanza 2.

Opened 
Searched 
Submarine

6) Write down all the verbs in stanza 2. Write them under column 2 in the table above. Add some more rows if needed.

Read

Stowed

Opened

Traveled 

Searched 

Climbed 

Found 

Read 

7) How old was the ‘I’ character when he does all that in stanza 2?

It was ten year of age

8) What do the following lines from the poem mean?  

‘I did all this in books I read 

when I was ten years old.’

He didn't go and do yet all this  think he say from the story,he read a book and learn and understand of all of book he read,that is why reading is important to everyone's it is help you. 

9) Theme: What is the idea or theme you learned from the story?

I learn new words 

I know read is important 

I learn more english

I understand new words that i didn't no before

I learn all of new words meaning

I learn how to great poem

10) Explain the story in a visual language

                                                            

  

I took a trip out of space

I met a dragon face to face

I fought a great white shark

11) Writing

       Write an essay on the following topic

       Topic: Reading is important

I agree with the topic because read is so important to people who dont no how to read.I learn how to read a book and start understand how to learn meaning of all words or new words.And i learn how to create a poem or a story using verbs noun and past.Sometime i think that i am not get all meaning of all new words and i will start searching on the google to get a meaning and learn more new words.

Student 3

I met a dragon face to face link

Jack Prelutsky

I met a dragon face to face

the year when I was ten,

I took a trip to outer space,

I braved a pirate's den,

I wrestled with a wicked troll,

and fought a great white shark,

I trailed a rabbit down a hole,

I hunted for a snark.

I stowed aboard a submarine,

I opened magic doors,

I traveled in a time machine,

and searched for dinosaurs,

I climbed atop a giant's head,

I found a pot of gold,

I did all this in books I read 

when I was ten years old.

Wicked -bad people

Braved-courage

Wrestle- take part in a fight, either as sport or in earnest, that involves grappling with one's opponent and trying to throw or force them to the ground.

Trail- A little road you can make it on the grass

Read the poem and answer these questions

1) What does the pronoun ‘I’ about the story narrated in the story?

    The pronoun ‘I’ indicates a first person pronoun that tells narrates the story.

2) Make a list of all that the character ‘I’ does in stanza 1 of the poem.

I met 

I took

I braved

I  wrestled

I trailed

I hunted.

3) Make a list of all the verbs in stanza 1. Write them at column 2 in the table given below. 

Present	Past	Participle
meet	met	met
take	took	taken
brave	braved	braved
wrestle	wrestled	wrestled
trail	trailed	trailed
hunt	hunted	hunted
fight	fought	fought
eat	ate	eaten

4) How old was the ‘I’ when he did those actions in stanza 1?

    Ten years old.

5) Make a list of all actions the ‘I’ character does in stanza 2.

    I stowed 

 I opened 

I traveled 

and searched

I climbed

I found 

I did all 

6) Write down all the verbs in stanza 2. Write them under column 2 in the table above. Add some more rows if needed.

  Stowed

  opened 

   Traveled

   Searched

   Climbed

   Found

   Read

7) How old was the ‘I’ character when he does all that in stanza 2?

    Ten years old.

8) What do the following lines from the poem mean?  

‘I did all this in books I read 

when I was ten years old.’

He said he was learning those books when he was 10 years old.

9) Theme: What is the idea or theme you learned from the story?

     Reading is important

10) Explain the story in a visual language

I met a dragon face to face

I took a trip to outer space

I wrestled with a wicked troll.

and fought a great white shark

I trailed a rabbit down a hole.

11) Writing

       Write an essay on the following topic

       Topic: Reading is important  

Reading is Important Because you can learn better, reading is a key of learning and key of languages. The more that you read the more things you will Know. People became smart because of   there reading, reading is not only reading,for example reading is like a big growing  three, if you read    a lot, you will learn more , you will learn new knowledge and new details. Reading is a best-friend of 

Learning.

Student 4

I met a dragon face to face link

Jack Prelutsky

I met a dragon face to face

the year when I was ten,

I took a trip to outer space,

I braved a pirate's den,

I wrestled with a wicked troll,

and fought a great white shark,

I trailed a rabbit down a hole,

I hunted for a snark.

I stowed aboard a submarine,

I opened magic doors,

I traveled in a time machine,

and searched for dinosaurs,

I traveled in a time machine,

and searched for dinosaurs,

 My new words

Wicked - bad people 

Braved - courage 

Narration - 

Read the poem and answer these questions

1) What does the pronoun ‘I’ about the story narrated in the story? 

The pronoun ‘I’ indicates a first - person pronoun that tells or narrates the story.

2) Make a list of all that the character ‘I’ does in stanza 1 of the poem

I met a dragon face to face 
I took a trip to outer space 
I braved a pirate’s den
I wrestled with a wicked troll 
I trailed a rabbit down a hole
I hunted for a snark 

3) Make a list of all the verbs in stanza 1. Write them at column 2 in the table given below.

Present	Past	Participle
Meet	Met	Will Met
Take	Took	Will Taken
Eat	Ate	Will Eaten
Brave	braved	Will Braved
Fight	Fought	Fighting
Hunt	Hunted	Hunten
Wrestle	Wrestled	Wrestled
Trail / trails	Trailed	Trailed
stow/stows	Stowed	Stowed
open/opens	Opened	Opend
Travel / travels	Traveled	Traveled
search/searches	Searched	Searched
climb/climbs	Climbed	Climbed
find/finds	Found	Found
Reads	Read	read
is	was

4) How old was the ‘I’ when he did those actions in stanza 1?

I took a trip to outer space….
The ‘I’ was 10 years old when he did those actions in stanza 1 

5) Make a list of all actions the ‘I’ character does in stanza 2.

I stowed aboard a submarine,

I opened magic doors,

I traveled in a time machine,

and searched for dinosaurs,

I traveled in a time machine,

and searched for dinosaurs,

6) Write down all the verbs in stanza 2. Write them under column 2 in the table above. Add some more rows if needed.

Traveled 
Searched 
Climbed 
Found 
Did 
Was 
Read 
Stow 

7) How old was the ‘I’ character when he does all that in stanza 2?

I stowed aboard a submarine..

8) What do the following lines from the poem mean?  

‘I did all this in the books I read  

when I was ten years old.’

It means that all the actions the ‘I’ character ddi were by reading different books.He did that when he was 10 years old…. 

9) Theme: What is the idea or theme you learned from the story?

The idea of this poem is about how to read.. 

The theme or idea I learned from the poem is it very important read because you can learn new knowledge…..

10) Explain the story in a visual language

                                                                                

                                                        

                                                       I took a trip outer space 

I met a dragon face to face

11) Writing

       Write an essay on the following topic

       

       Topic: Reading is important

Reading is important because it develops the mind understanding the written word is one way the mind grows in its ability.Teaching young children to read helps them develop their languages skills.It also helps them learn to listen.It helps develops our thoughts,gives us endless knowledge and lessons while keeping our mind active..The importance of book to help us learn and understand cannot be underestimated.In the world today where information is abundant,reading is one of the best ways to be informed accurately.

Student 5

I met a dragon face to face link

Jack Prelutsky

I met a dragon face to face

the year when I was ten,

I took a trip to outer space,

I braved a pirate's den,

I wrestled with a wicked troll,

and fought a great white shark,

I trailed a rabbit down a hole,

I hunted for a snark.

I stowed aboard a submarine,

I opened magic doors,

I traveled in a time machine, 

and searched for dinosaurs,

I climbed atop a giant's head,

I found a pot of gold,

I did all this in books I read 

when I was ten years old.

 My new words

Wrestled

Trailed

Wicked

Stowed

Submarine

Read the poem and answer these questions

                                                                      (who tell the story )

1) What does the pronoun ‘I’ about the story narrated in the story?

He met a dragon face to face the pronoun ‘I’ indicates a first person pronoun that tells or narrates the story

2) Make a list of all that the character ‘I’ does in stanza 1 of the poem.

Met 

Took

Brave

Wrestled

Fought

Trailed

Hunted

3) Make a list of all the verbs in stanza 1. Write them at column 2 in the table given below.

Present	Past	Participle
meet	met	met
take	took	taken
brave	braved	braved
wrestle/ wrestles	wrestled	wrestled
fight	fought	fought
trail	trailed	trailer
hunt	hunted	hunted

4) How old was the ‘I’ when he did those actions in stanza 1?

Ten years old

5) Make a list of all actions the ‘I’ character does in stanza 2.

I met

I took

I praved

I wrestled

I climbed 

I found 

I did

6) Write down all the verbs in stanza 2. Write them under column 2 in the table above. Add some more rows if needed.

Present	Past	Participle
stow	stowed	stowed
open	opened	opened
travel	traveled	travelled
search	searched	searched
clim	climed	climed
find	found	found
is	was

7) How old was the ‘I’ character when he does all that in stanza 2?

Ten years old the ‘I’ was ten years old when he did those action in stanza 2

8) What do the following lines from the poem mean?  

‘I did all this in books I read 

when I was ten years old.’

The ten years old boy read are book and he get the idea of technology 

About what he read it mean that all the action the I characters did we're by reading different book. He did when he ten years old 

9) Theme: What is the idea or theme you learned from the story?

I learn how important the reading for this boy

10) Explain the story in a visual language

I met a dragon face to face

The year when i was ten

I took a trip to outer space

I brave s privates den

I wrestled with a wicked troll

And fought a great white shark

I trailed a rabbit down a hole

I hunted for a snark

11) Written

       Write an essay on the following topic

       Topic: Reading is important

Reading is very important for us. 

Reading is very important for us because reading is helping us to know more new word and our english become better and learn better. Reading is are good thing for us when we do nothing and home , school and work we read are book and relax our mind.