Anyone's school do the Accelerated Reader program?

[littlesista06]

There is an AR book list that students choose from... they read the book then test on it.

Dd took her first yesterday and failed. She has never failed anything and this is so disappointing. She made a bad decision to test on a book she'd read like, 2 years ago, instead of waiting an extra day until she finished her current book, then test on that one. Now, she has her first grade in language arts as an F.
Interiums come out in like, 3 weeks so she's gonna have a heck of a time pulling her grade up to A or B level. I'm nearly sick at my stomach for her.

[Leigh]

We have AR at our school too, but we can not use it as a grade in the classroom.... we do however use the points (each book is worth so many points), and if they get their points in a nine weeks, then they get to participate in some fun event. Most teachers put bulletin.

(((Hugs to your dd))) I know it must be devastating to get a low grade when you aren't used to it!

[AnnW]

we did in elementary for a while. don't use it in middle school.

PLEASE look at it this way...middle school is the chance to learn what you need to know and DO to succeed in high school. none of those grades follow her. high school is what the colleges look at, NOT middle school. yes, it might be hard to pull that grade up, but she learned a much bigger lesson..she learned what happens when you try to skate and not do the work or not give 100%. as sick as you might feel right now, what if she hadn't learned that till later when the grades do count.

[angie r]

We have AR until March, but only if they want to and not for a grade. Ds had it all through grade 1-5 for a portion of his language arts grade. You have to be careful because you may accidentally enter a book you didn't read, and still have to test on it, there is no way to back out of it. Some of the questions may pertain to minor parts of the book so you need to have just read it. There may be only 5 or 10 questions on a test so missing one question can really get you.

Ds liked AR but dd doesn't because she has a perfectionist attitude that unless she knows she can get them all right, she won't test.

It is a good way to see if your child is comprehending what they read though. I would just have her test as quickly as she can on the next book to pull her % up.

[littlesista06]

Yep, only 10 questions on this test so she was screwed.
Thanks Ann, for the perspective. Thing is, this is an honors class and she needs that grade to be up so she won't be considered for lower level classes - however, once the teacher gets to know her (we know the teacher from church already) she should see that isn't dd's normal work.
She tried to get out of testing on that book, but she had already signed up for it so now she'll get to test on the book she just finished. Then she'll have another to do so she'll have the necessary points before the interiums are issued.

These are required, to a degree. The teachers strongly suggest them, but book reports are an alternative. We'll see. I don't think she'll have problems testing, just can't do it on a book you haven't read in two years. lol And... to be completely fair, I was the one who suggested she test on it, but did tell her to re-read it.

I'm going to email her teacher (or ask at church tomorrow) if that grade really goes in the grade book, or if the test is just really used for points.

[AnnW]

Yep, only 10 questions on this test so she was screwed.
Thanks Ann, for the perspective. Thing is, this is an honors class and she needs that grade to be up so she won't be considered for lower level classes -.

trust me, they will not kick her out for one test grade.
it's as good for them to have kids in honors classes as it is for her to be in them

[RCT]

We have it here in our Elementary school.....

DD has taken a test or two and Failed it....she just keeps on reading and taking tests.....

[Ryleigh S.]

dd#1 participated in in through elementary and middle school. Passed some, failed some... it didn't count as part of overall grade though, just points like Leigh said. Each month the students with the two highest point totals got to do something special. At the end of the year the 5 highest point totals won a limo ride to McDonalds for lunch. (one of the teachers husbands owns a limo that he charters for private occasions...he donated his service for this one day a year).

[littlesista06]

Funny thing: went to church this a.m. and who do you think the greeter is? Dd's language arts teacher! LOL!! We talked a little bit and she reassured dd that mistakes are best made early in the year, it's a big transition and that this score does not go in the grade book, but gets averaged in with other comprehension grades.

She's ready to take another test tomorrow and is nearly done with another book.

[Amy]

I don't know of any program here. I vaguely remember it when i was in school.

Glad it didn't turn out horrible in the end.

Dd has a problem with organization. The first week of school she forgot various books or assignments. The first time I broughther back to school to pick it up, the second time (in the same freaking week) she forgot something and I told her that was a shame. LOL She freaked out that I didn't offer any solutions that would suit her, but she needed to learn a lesson. Best to do it now while the teachers are still understanding. LOL


Here is a general question for all: Do you go to bat for your children when you know they screwed up at school? I usually let them take their lumps, but I do remember making excuses for dd when she was in 5th grade. It was a leap year (she kept the same teacher and class from 4th) and it wasn't a good fit all around. I should have transferred her to another class, but she didn't want to stand out like that.

[AnnW]

I
Here is a general question for all: Do you go to bat for your children when you know they screwed up at school?

Nope.........

[littlesista06]

Here is a general question for all: Do you go to bat for your children when you know they screwed up at school?

fortunately, i haven't had too many issues with that.
i did email her teacher, (one reason, because we know her) and did say that she made a bad decision and that was not what she could expect from dd. i didn't ask for a second chance or special favor - she made the choice and after i thought about it, i was about as much to blame. i signed off on her taking the test, BUT i thought she'd re-read it.

[Amy]

fortunately, i haven't had too many issues with that.
i did email her teacher, (one reason, because we know her) and did say that she made a bad decision and that was not what she could expect from dd. i didn't ask for a second chance or special favor - she made the choice and after i thought about it, i was about as much to blame. i signed off on her taking the test, BUT i thought she'd re-read it.

I hope I didn't put you on the defense! It just made me think of the time in dd's 5th grade. I bent over backwards for dd because her teacher was making wrong assumptions and she didn't have one close friend in that class.

[AnnW]

I hope I didn't put you on the defense! It just made me think of the time in dd's 5th grade. I bent over backwards for dd because her teacher was making wrong assumptions and she didn't have one close friend in that class.

i have gone to bat for my kids when they didn't screw up, and the teacher(s) had made the wrong assumptions. i think parents shoudl do that but, i have never fixed a problem for them

[littlesista06]

I hope I didn't put you on the defense! It just made me think of the time in dd's 5th grade. I bent over backwards for dd because her teacher was making wrong assumptions and she didn't have one close friend in that class.

no, no, no! i didn't take any offense or get my back up!
didn't mean for my reply to sound that way.