What is a Reading Counts Quiz... and how does a book get listed?

[Jemima]

Dixie wrote: One thing I do notice as a substitute in middle school classrooms is that kids won't pick books to read that they can't take a reading counts quiz in, and although there is a huge amount of books with quizzes, at least 60,000, I haven't been able to see how indie authors get their book quiz on there. Some sites say a lot of schools have to request a quiz for a certain book, not sure though.

Not working in a school, and not being in the US, this was an interesting comment to me because I don't know what it means. But it sounds like something for discussion.

Anyone like to enlighten me?

[J.S.]

Accelerated Reader is a program offered through Renaissance Learning. The company assigns books a reading level that's used by teachers and students to match readers to a book that the students are able to read. They create a quiz students take after reading the book and students earn points for each quiz taken. Teachers can then assign rewards (either extra credit points or tangible items) to the number of points a student receives from the different quizzes.

At almost every all of my school presentations, I'm asked if it has an AR rating. I submitted our book for review and was not selected because I didn't meet their criteria. They keep the book on file for two years in case the criteria is met during that time. Based on their requirements, it would be very difficult for a indie book to be selected. When our second book is released, I plan on giving the schools I visit instructions on how to request a quiz and then trying again.

Here was their response with their criteria:

Our goal is to offer quizzes for books that are likely to be in many school libraries nationwide in the US and Canada, and are readily available through a national school library distributor, such as Titlewave. To help us in attaining that goal, our selection criteria for quiz development is similar to the criteria that a school librarian uses.

When selecting books for quiz development for inclusion to Accelerated Reader, we consider:
* Books that are national award winners such as Newbury, or Caldecott
* Books receiving multiple positive reviews, from national publications used by school librarians such as School Library Journal, Horn Book, Library Media Connection, VOYA, and Booklist (other authors, newspapers, educators or Amazon reviews are not used at this time.)
* Books on recommended reading lists, such as Junior Library Guild list, etc
* Books written by popular authors such as Rick Riordan
* Books in a continuing popular series such as Harry Potter
* Books that are frequently suggested by our customers from across the nation

[Rebecca]

In many ways, I like what little I've seen of the AR program. But I don't like the way it narrows what kids may want to read. I'm guessing this may be similar to, or the same as, the program that Kumon Learning Centers (a misguided org. if ever I saw one, IMHO) is using to send kids to the library with a very specific list of books they MUST read and take a quiz on. This leads to the worst offense, where I saw a mom telling a kid who was very excited about a particular book that he couldn't take that, because he had to read the books on his Kumon list. Uh, lady? You want to raise a kid who likes to read, or one who has taken a bunch of pointless quizzes?

[Cheryl]

indeed...

[Jemima]

I suspect there is something similar in the UK, but I'm luckily in ignorance of it.

To me it smacks of what has happened in university courses to prevent people complaining of bias when they get bad marks. Every assignment has a list of key elements that must be included to gain points. So when I lost marks in a third year (graduation year) science course for not explicitly stating the earth went round the sun, I gave up.

As you say, Rebecca - do you want people to read or take quizzes on 'approved' books.

How long before 'unapproved' books are banned? Well, come to think of it, that would make more of them sell ;)

[Rebecca]

Jemima wrote: "Well, come to think of it, that would make more of them sell ;) "

Exactly! I've been trying to get someone to ban my books! Think of the free advertising!

[Dixie]

I know I substitute in nine schools and they all use the system of Selena reading for a set number of minutes a day, and during that time, the kids can log on to a computer of iPad and take ARC quizzes. Some schools offer things like ice cream parties when so many points are added up, in the library the books get color dots on the spine for ARC reading level so the kids have to check one book out on their color, and then may take one book in addition to that in any level. So there is a lot of pressure to pick books with quizzes, all books have a ten point quiz from simple picture books to complex adult level books like lord of the rings. I'm pretty sure scholastic books all have quizzes so that may impact them too, since a lot of their purchases are through the scholastic flyers, or the scholastic book fairs at their schools

[Lori]

My children's school does not do those book quizzes thankfully. The kids do have to read short articles on the achieve3000 website, answer 8 multiple choice questions, and write a short response (2 paragraphs for my 4th grader) twice a week. They keep a daily reading log but are allowed to read whatever they choose for that. My 4th grader sometimes reads picture books to her little brother for her reading time.

[Rebecca]

Lori, I think that's sweet about your daughter reading to her little brother! Plus, reading aloud is a good skill. It doesn't seem to get practiced so much at school anymore, judging by the way my kids read aloud (let's just say they could use practice).

[Stephanie]

As a former middle school teacher of 11 years and now in my 9th year as a school librarian, I can tell you how the first books became "AR" books: these were the books that were not being ordered from some of the largest book suppliers. By creating AR and putting these books on the "list," suddenly they were instant sellers! Schools jumped on the bandwagon to buy mediocre books. The better books were slowly added. Books not on the AR list dropped to the wayside. Students stopped reading for pleasure and only read for the points, which actually has harmed reading comprehension. The book Readicide: How Schools Are Killing Reading and What You Can Do about It details studies and exam results from pre- and post-AR and Reading Counts days as well as standardized testing days and is quite eye-opening. With my own children I saw a difference from when they attended AR/Reading Counts schools versus read for pleasure/SSR schools.

[Rebecca]

I think I might have to agree with you, Stephanie. I am not a huge fan of anything that makes recreational reading into a chore or something to be graded on. And your story of how they started is appalling.

[Courtney]

I have a love/hate relationship with Accelerated Reader which stems from the experience I had working with a cousin, then in 3rd grade, who was a struggling reader and insisted she just didn't like to read (i.e. it's not cool). Because her AR was a small part of her English grade, and she cared enough about her grades to get her work done with just a little help, I was able to get her reading. At first my angle was "it's part of your grade, so let's just get it done, I know I can't force you to like it". But I worked really hard to find books that would interest her and to show her how much I enjoyed reading. Now, a few years later, she's not struggling with reading anymore, she enjoys it and no longer worries that it's not cool. If her AR hadn't been part of her grade, I wouldn't have had any leverage to even get her started reading. But I also understand all the bad that can come from systems like Accelerated Reader and Reading Counts. Programs like these should be used very carefully if used at all.

I'm familiar with AR but I'm not as familiar with Reading Counts. Our city library has specs. for both programs listed inside books. I know where I can find AR points online, but where can I go online to find points assigned through Reading Counts? All I can seem to find are Lexile levels.