THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, June 9, 1996 TAG: 9606090037
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ALETA PAYNE, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: 97 lines
Up until a few years ago, ``Little Women'' didn't exactly fly off the shelves of the Windsor Oaks Elementary School library.
Students weren't drawn to the rather lengthy narrative of the March sisters' trials and tribulations.
But something changed that, and librarian Norene Skiles thinks she knows what it is.
It's called the Accelerated Reader program, a computer-based system that challenges students to read books and then tests them. The harder the book, the higher the points possible.
And ``Little Women'' is worth a whopping 36 points, the most of any book in the Windsor Oaks library.
``That was a book that never, ever ever circulated in this library,'' Skiles said. ``Now it's on the reserved list.''
Accelerated Reader, which has been in use at Windsor Oaks for four years, is gaining popularity throughout the area. It is used in other Virginia Beach schools and in some Norfolk, Portsmouth and Chesapeake schools, with more joining next fall.
The program's success may be in the competitive nudge and computerized edge it gives to reading, with students reaching for more and harder books to takeon as they work toward rewards for their accomplishments.
``It gets more kids to read, and they learn more stuff about stories and stuff,'' said 7-year-old Haylie Diggs, a second-grader at Windsor Oaks.
Bonita Bill, principal at Norfolk's Oakwood Elementary School, said, ``I can't even tell you the phenomenal results. These kids walk down the hall and bump into you because they're reading books.''
The way the program works is simple: Students read books worth 0.5 to 36 points, depending on the difficulty level.
They then take a computerized multiple choice test on what they've read. The computer grades the test and keeps a running log of the points the students accumulate.
Skiles said the computer also collects information valuable to teachers, such as which books each student is reading and the students' ``recreational'' reading level - whether books are too easy or too hard for their abilities.
Because the computer keeps records from year to year, teachers can look back at what a student read in previous grades. Or they may choose to send home the most recent list of books read with a report card.
Some kindergarten and first-grade students participate at Windsor Oaks, as do all second- through fifth-graders.
Skiles said she has seen a change in how often Windsor Oaks students read and the type of books they choose.
``Now we have boys and girls who want to read rather than going out to recess,'' she said.
``My classics never sit on the shelf anymore. They circulate all the time.''
And, since students have one chance only at each test, ``they read more carefully now,'' Skiles said.
Peter Dewitz, director of reading outreach programs at the University of Virginia, said educators should realize that Accelerated Reader isn't going to boost a student's computer skills, and that the test questions don't require childrenanalyze. But, he said, the program does encourage reading and offers teachers new ways to entice young people to consider authors and topics they might otherwise not pursue.
``The bottom line is it's positive, because the more you read, the better you'll be at it,'' DeWitz said.
At Windsor Oaks, students have increased their schoolwide point total every year since the program was introduced in 1992. From 3,000 points the first year, students collected more than 16,000 this year, easily beating their goal of 10,000.
Each school recognizes students differently. Bill, at Oakwood, awards ribbons.
``I figure it works for the Navy,'' the principal said.
In challenging the children at Windsor Oaks, school officials have offered layers of honors for group and individual totals.
For instance, whenever the students top their annual schoolwide goal, Principal John Mirra has agreed to a ``reasonable'' stunt of their choice. As a result, he spent one May Friday skating around dressed as a woman.
Individual students may use their points in the school store or, if they earn 100 to 150 points, to spend the day as a teacher or administrator in the school.
Six students got to take over for Mirra for a day, including a visit with the superintendent.
The big payoff for the school has been increased standardized reading test scores. Mirra says Accelerated Reader is not solely responsible, but deserves some credit.
Riley Holmes, a kindergarten student at Windsor Oaks, recently attended a cookout for students who met the goal for individuals in each grade.
Among the titles he tackled this year was ``Ferdinand,'' the story of a reluctant fighting bull. Riley said he wants to continue in the program next year, because there are still points he wants to earn and books he wants to read. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
MORT FRYMAN/The Virginian-Pilot
Ryan Guiliani, 8, a second-grader at Windsor Oaks Elementary School,
takes a computer test on a book he has read as a part of the
school's Accelerated Reading Program. Students read books worth 0.5
to 36 points, depending on the difficulty level, and then earn a
percentage of those points for correct answers. Students then
exchange their points for rewards. by CNB