Reading Rewarded

Addie finished school about three weeks ago. However, the last week of school was full of field trips and award presentations.

Addie participates in an Accelerated Reading Program. The student reads a book and takes a test on the computer testing their knowledge of what they read. Then the student is rewarded with points. Most picture books are worth .5 points, with most 2nd grade level reading level chapter books are worth 1 point.

Addie earned over 100 points. In fact she earned almost 125 points.

This is a great program to motivate students to read. In fact, now that school is out I notice Addie reading on her own has drastically reduced. May be time for some mandatory reading time? Hmmmmmmmm.....

To Tell a Tale

Addie's reading ability has really soared this year. She went from barely making it through a picture book with frustration to cruising through a chapter book in a couple of days. This success is in part of these three characters:

Junie B. Jones by Barbara Park

Junie B. Jones just can't help getting into all kinds of scrapes. After all, going to school, and having to ride the smelly old school bus, and making new friends isn't easy. She really can't help it when she shouts out loud in class. After all, if that dumb May, the class tattletale, wasn't always calling attention to Junie B.'s behavior, she wouldn't have to yell at her, would she? Then there's that meanie kid, Jim, who is always teasing her and making life miserable. And it's really hard to follow the rules, when there seem to be so many of them.

She does her best, but life just has so many interesting possibilities, which often land her in trouble with the teacher and her parents. No matter how mixed-up things get, one thing's for sure --- you'll have a good laugh reading about Junie's adventures in kindergarten and first grade. And, by the way --- that's Junie "B." --- as she will firmly remind you, if you happen to forget.

review by Ann L. Bruns

Rainbow Fairies by Daisy Meadows

All kids love magic, right? Well this magical adventure is a perfect introduction for all little girls into the world of book series.

Rachel Walker and Kirsty Tate meet on their way to Rainspell Island for holidays and quickly become friends. While searching for the end of a rainbow they discover an old, black pot. Inside the pot is Ruby the red rainbow fairy. Ruby explains that evil Jack Frost has cast her and her rainbow sisters from fairyland in anger that they forgot to invite him to the midsummer ball. Ruby turns Rachel and Kirsty into fairies and takes them to fairyland to meet the king and queen and receive instructions on how to rescue the other six fairies.

So begins book one of the series. (from reviewstream.com)

School Days - Laura Ingalls Wilder

School Days is the latest favorite. I am sure this has to do with our cold snowy stop to the homestead in South Dakota during Spring Break. These books were compiled by taking chapters out of the original series. It does make for easier reading then the longer original books. She also read Animal Adventures in this same series.

All of these are a series of books, which if fun to go from one story to the next for Addie.