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."
