My thoughts on AR

Ok, I know a lot of schools use the AR reading program to motivate the kids to read and I think it is a good idea. Sometimes I like the program and sometimes I don't!! Yes it motivates the kids to read, but sometimes it makes them want to read easy books all the time! I think it is good for the kids to read easy books sometimes, so they can practice their fluency, or heck they can even just read the book because the enjoy the book!! With taking the quizzes the students are VERY concerned with what level it is and how many points that book is worth! I try to have all of my books leveled and with the AR quiz on the label to make it easier for them to find the quiz, but I also have a couple of buckets that I just labeled "Fun Reading" and those books in there do not have an AR quiz and I see so many kids go right past those buckets because the are not AR books! This makes me very sad to see that they are missing some good books just because it is not an AR book! But one thing that I find funny is I have some books that I was able to find the level too, but not a quiz so I level it and put it in the right spot and kids will read it and then go to take the quiz, and when they get to the the computer to realize there is no quiz I have a bee line straight to me with a very concerned look on their face telling me there is no quiz!! They get very upset that they wasted their time reading the book, so I try to stress that it's ok to just read to enjoy the story! After I talk to them they usually tell me it was a good book and they did enjoy it, but very disappointed that there was not a quiz to take on it to get their points!

I would like to hear your thoughts on this!

WOW if you are still reading this then you deserve something!! I decided to make a punch card to help motivate my kids to do well on the quizzes not just take them to take them, so I made some punch cards the kids will have! The first one is for 5 punches and the kids have to score an 80% or higher. I will use these at the beginning of the year to get them use to it. The second card they have to score a 100% and get 10 punches to get a prize, probably a trip to the treasure box, or lunch in the classroom. I have made them very general so almost anyone can use them! I also don't have a spot for their name I'm just going to have them write it on the back of the card.
AR 5 Punch Pass

AR Punch Pass