Elementary students meet the challenge and show their reading prowess
BY MECHELE COOPER
Staff Writer Kennebec Journal & Morning Sentinel 10/06/2008

WINDSOR -- Alexis Soucy doesn't mind being quizzed about the books she reads.

The 11-year-old Windsor Elementary School student arrived early Tuesday morning to answer 10 questions about "Hoot" by Carl Hiaasen, a book she just finished.

She said the story is about two boys in Florida who attempt to save a colony of burrowing owls from a proposed construction project.

Windsor Elementary students are challenged each year to read books. And the school uses a computer program to track their vocabulary recognition and total words read. To help track, librarian Bonnie Squiers has been running the Accelerator Reading Program, created by Renaissance Learning Inc., for more than a dozen years.

She said students come to the library to log on to the program with a user name and password. Then they enter the title of the book and take a multiple-choice practice quiz.

The program determines how well a child has read a book. The software provides additional information to teachers regarding reading rates, amount of reading and other variables related to reading, Squiers said.

Students also earn points to earn rewards such as books, school supplies, sleepovers and field trips.

"It's actually pretty easy if you actually read the book," said Alexis, a seventh-grader. "It helps you understand the book better."

Alexis Lloyd, 10, a fifth-grader, said the program also helps students with classroom testing.

Her teacher assigned "Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh" by Robert O'Brien for her to read.

"It helps me remember what happened in the story, so when we go back into the classroom I do better on my tests," Alexis Lloyd said.

Rob Moody, principal, said he challenges students each year as a way to encourage them to participate in the reading program.

He said it gives the school a focus on reading and makes it a priority.

"I have a little fun with it," Moody said. "Last year, I put the challenge out there to read so many words and they got to shave our heads, mine and Josh McNaughton, the assistant principal. They did it during an assembly in front of the whole school."

This year, his challenge to students is to read 111 million words.

If they do it, Moody said he would dress up as Hannah Montana, a star on the Disney Channel.

"I said that in a weak moment," he laughed. "If they want me to dress up in a wig and makeup and finger and toenail polish, then they're going to have to really work at it."

Squiers said children not only get to read what's in the school library, they also can access 100,000 books online.

Students in the school's summer they also can access 100,000 books online.

Students in the school's summer reading program read 8,011,593 words.

Lakota Ouellette, 11, a sixth-grader, was the second highest reader last year. He read more than 3 million words.

"I like the books I read," Lakota said. "I like getting the points. It's fun. I like challenging myself."

Sean McGrail, 12, a fifth-grader, said he read 1 million words before school started this year.

He got hooked on a series of fantasy novels.

"I found a book I like, 'Redwall' by Brian Jacques," Sean said. "But it was hard, because it took a long time to read the books."

Squiers said she purchases many of the library books from the PermaBound Company, based in Jacksonville, Ill., because the books are guaranteed.

Last year, PermaBound had to replace 10 library books. A company representative actually visited the school "to see what was going on in Windsor."

"Hopefully, what we have done for (students) is establish a love of reading," Squiers said. "What they do every day is practice. And how do we do better? We practice. That's why they're called reading practice quizzes."

Mechele Cooper -- 623-3811, Ext. 408

mcooper@centralmaine.com

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