Baymonte students are catching reading fever and it’s contagious. Since the inauguration of the Accelerated Reader Program and adoption of common core instructional strategies at Baymonte we have seen a perceptible change in our student body. Our librarian, Mrs. Upton, has stated unequivocally that “students are excited about reading.”
Here are some recent indicators of our students’ growing enthusiasm:
- Mr. Olson has noted that he has to ask students to put their books away as he starts class. He commented that this is a good problem to have.
- In a recent parent meeting we were informed that an entire family has set a daily time for their reading. The parents felt that since reading is important for their student, it is important for the entire family to model that practice. So every evening they spend a half-hour for family reading time after dinner.
- Our library circulation has increased, especially among middle school students.
- Teachers have observed students seeking more challenging books (within their reading range).
- Students anxiously await their opportunity to take their A/R quizzes at lunch time.
- We are hearing about students who rarely spent free time reading who now always have a book with them, motivated by their desire to improve their score.
We know that one of the best indicators of student achievement is advanced reading comprehension and the single best way to increase that ability is through practice. I am excited to see the long term results for our students as we continue to use the Accelerated Reading Prog