Accelerated Reader Spring Update

Well, here we are...trickling in slowly. I get to sit with RN and CJ! Yay! Robin is having issues opening her sour patch stick and several are having issues with the Teacher Resource login. (your login is your first initial and your last name; Michele doesn't know your password, but she can reset it for you if you go to visit her). Hmm, does Kaiser do TB tests? Which PD is in this room? Am I a MyData beginner? What Spring Checklist? Where's the sign-in? It is now 1355! Wow.  We apparently need naps.

Michele is now starting. So many conversations :-)

 Remember!! AR April is coming up fast!

ACCELERATED READER HOMEPAGE  

ML is getting a lot of wide-ranging questions about AR from a lot of teachers who may have lost their notebooks. We are trying to get tshirts made for our Million Word Readers! (Can't walk to Borders with Corianne anymore since there isn't a Borders or a Librarian anymore). We are now working on a Circle Map for our 'Daily ET Routine'. Would a Flow Map work better? Can I reset goals midstream?

JR has kids use a Reading Log everyday. RN reads a common book each semester that her ET reads together. She has ET rewards when everyone reaches 50% and 100%. DO takes his ET to the library once a month to make sure that they each have a book. What is the Frame of Reference for this Circle Map - Sustained Silent Reading, increasing literacy rates (FOR = how do we know what we know)...

Where do we build in time to actually use the data created from AR? Do we? Some do, some don't. Those who do - check-in conference-style with students weekly; have students check out their progress toward goals; deleting out of range ZPD quizzes...

We are now using Teacher Resources (use the link above) to view the AR Spring Semester Checklist.  It literally gives you a list of what to do for each month of the Spring Semester.  Some people are adding students that already exist instead of just enrolling them in their ET.  Michele is here to help with that, but get it this year because her position doesn't exist next year! Skipping to March - the goal setting chart is on Teacher Resources - it has the suggested point goal/ZPD for the 5, 10 and 15 week.  Now, log in to AR as yourself and pull up your Spring Diagnostic Report.  Make sure that you select Spring Semester!  There is a key to the Diagnostic Codes on the 2nd page of the Diagnostic Report - Reading Practice. For example, the code A actually means that they haven't  taken a single quiz. Encourage students to read Non-Fiction (those are more challenging).  Robin is an advanced user - she is comparing her student's reading ranges with the books they've actually tested on.  Don't forget to take a look at their Word Count! This is under AR Reports, Other Reading, Word Count to be able to give a shout out to your students who are at 700,000 or better! They are on track to read one million words! Of course, students with disabilities or ELL students will be at a lower word count.

What do we do if students are blocked or locked? Are these the same? They are NOT the same! Blocked means that a student has parameters set that prevent them from taking certain tests. Locked means that they have entered the incorrect password too many times.

Michele is available to help you have kids sign-up for HomeConnect so that you get an email every time they take a test.  If you need to STAR test your ET and you want to do the whole ET at once, check with Michele.  If you don't understand the Reports and such, go see Michele.

Good Reading and Good Luck. Be kind to each other! Peace, out!