PINECREST ST. ROSE BOOK SERIES READING PROGRAM
Pinecrest St. Rose is committed to encouraging students to read independently to enhance reading skills and improve proficiency. Students are always more motivated to read when books are of interest to them; to facilitate this interest, each staff member will host a series of books in his/her classroom or office that students will be permitted to check out one at a time. If a student shows interest in a particular series, he/she will contact the staff member hosting the series and receive a bookmark listing all of the books in that series available to read. For example, Mr. Haskel, our Principal, is hosting the Percy Jackson series. If a student is interested in reading Percy Jackson, he/she would come to Mr. Haskel’s office and check out one book at a time. Once a student finishes a book, he/she must pass an AR quiz (80% or better) before continuing on with the next book in the series. Students will earn a ‘Spirit Stick’ for each series completed to add to his/her collection!
Research has shown that the average elementary school student spends approximately 5 minutes each day reading independently in the classroom. Most reading time is teacher-directed or spent practicing reading skills; the more time students spend reading independently, the higher their personal achievement levels. Adding just 10 minutes of independent reading per day increases a student’s exposure to over 800,000 new words per year and test scores increased by an average of 30%.
The adjacent menu provides a link to each reading level and the series’ we have available on our campus. It’s helpful to have two or more series in mind in case your student’s first choice is not immediately available. Students may also read level-appropriate series’ at home, online, or borrowed from the local library.
The menu also provides an “AR Color Reading Guide” to help students find a book that is appropriate for his/her independent reading level; colored dots will be on the spines of the books in each series and on all Book Series promotional posters. Students are encouraged to read above their level as parents and teachers deem appropriate; it is important that students maintain comprehension of the reading material in order to successfully pass the AR Test at the end of each book. If a book seems too easy or too difficult, students can adjust accordingly. The goal of this program is to increase our children’s love of reading and desire to learn independent of the classroom.
Reading is an adventure and we look forward to welcoming both new and returning Panthers on this incredible journey!
Jon Haskel, Principal
Theresa Elder, K-2 Assistant Principal
Amy Barbine, 3-5 Assistant Principal
Nicole Moreno, 6-8 Assistant Principal
Kim Garcia, K-8 Instructional Coach