Computing a good read

Linda Dam

“The Very Busy Spider” was projected onto the Smart Board in the

computer lab for accelerated readers. The touch-sensitive,

interactive whiteboard allows students to highlight certain words

with the touch of a marker.

“Which word has the short ‘e’ sound?” Gabriel Del Real asked a

group of first- and second-graders seated on the floor. “Can you

highlight the word for me?”

Ten wiggly hands shot into the air and little voices whispered, “I

know! I know!” but Del Real only picked students with a “quiet hand.”

Del Real, a Newport Heights Elementary School special assignments

teacher, gave a demonstration to Debbie Lewis’ class on a new program

called Accelerated Readers, in which students read a story and are

quizzed on the material, using a computer.

“The program is used for immediate feedback, which monitors and

encourages independent reading,” Del Real said. “It gives the kids a

sense of how much they are comprehending.”

Following Del Real’s demonstration, the students went to the

closest available computer and readied themselves for a quiz on “The

Very Busy Spider.”

After finding their names on a class list, double-clicking on it

and entering a password, they were ready to start.

“I think the program is great,” said Christian Dewitt, a district

aide who helped with the class. “It keeps track of what they are

learning.”

Afterward, results were printed out, so students could see their

scores and show their teacher.

“The quiz gives [students] a sense of what they are comprehending

and redirects their thinking about reading,” Del Real said. “It makes

them realize they need to attend to their reading more.”

Librarian Sandy Johnson and library assistant Maisie Lindsay have

seen an increase in reading interest from the students.

“In just two months of the Accelerated Readers program, we are

seeing kids who are liking books and taking the quizzes,” Johnson

said. “Kids are reading a lot more. They like it, and the teachers

like it.”