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| Students hone reading skills with Accelerated Reader program |
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| Written by Maddy Houk / Patterson Irrigator / | |
| Friday, 21 March 2008 | |
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The Accelerated Reader program at Patterson-area schools is producing results, hooking kids on books and boosting their reading levels. Venomous snakes, dinosaurs, princesses and children in a time-traveling tree house crowd Elizabeth Salinas’ classroom at Apricot Valley Elementary School.  Seven-year-old Alissa Webster, who reads “Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium” during a March 10 reading period, is one of hundreds of kids who are reading up a storm and having fun along the way. Photo by Elias Funez/Patterson Irrigator Marshawn Simpkins, 8, was reading the “Deadly Creatures Dictionary.” “I like it because it’s fun to read,” Marshawn said. Salinas’ students have 20 minutes a day to read silently in the classroom, and they also read at home. “I have 14 books at my house,” said Esmerelda Lujano, 8. “I have more books than toys. I like to read.” Part of their enthusiasm, teachers say, can be attributed to the Accelerated Reader program that began 14 months ago in local schools. Second-graders, as well as other elementary school kids throughout Patterson Unified School District, can read books, take multiple-choice tests on them and accumulate points — giving them a chance to review what they learn, practice their vocabulary and improve their understanding of what they read. “Accelerated Reading is a reading program where the goal is the more you read, the better comprehension you get,” Salinas said. “We go by points, but before they get the book they read, they have to be tested to find what level they are.”  Too cool: Eight-year-old Myles Ababa shows a book on dinosaurs he is reading in class at Apricot Valley Elementary School. The second-grader says he also especially likes the Magic Tree House series and books about octopus, tarantulas and giant squid. Photo by Elias Funez/Patterson Irrigator Levels for a second-grader can be from 1.9, which equals a first-grade ninth-month reading level, to 5.0, equivalent to a fifth-grade level. Some of Salinas’ students have tested at 4.8, well above the expected level. Each time a student finishes a book, he or she earns anywhere from half a point to 30 points. Most second-grade-level books are rated at a half-point, but chapter books, such as “The Wizard of Oz” or titles in the Harry Potter series, can earn a student many more. Racking up those points can be a powerful incentive for some girls and boys, like Joshua Ervie, 7. “I like reading books like chapter books,” he said. “I read a lot — it helps me get A.R. points.” One of Salinas’ students, Xandra Carter, 7, has accumulated 200 points since school started in August. “For a second-grader to get 200 points, that’s really a lot of chapter books,” Salinas said. Xandra said she loves to read but doesn’t read every day — only when she wants to finish a book. Her other favorite thing to do is draw pictures. During silent reading time, she was in the middle of “Snowflake Bentley,” a story about a boy who is 17 years old and loves snow days. “He wants to share his snowflake pictures but can’t, because they melt when he starts drawing,” Xandra explained. Her favorite book is “Eragon,” a fantasy adventure story that begins when a boy is walking in the forest and finds a dragon egg, nearly the last of its kind. Xandra said she also reads to her two little sisters and her baby brother when she is at home. Salinas says she’s just thrilled the class finds books exciting. “They’re excited — they’re fired up,” Salinas said. “They are into this.” To reach Maddy Houk at the Irrigator, call 892-6187 or e-mail her at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
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