IRP

Upon completion of the Reading Interest Survey (see below), students will visit the school media center and will be directed towards categories of books that match their reading interests. Students are able to choose any book in any category that sounds interesting and exciting to them. If a student cannot locate a book that he/she is interested in, our classroom library is also an option. Students are also able to provide their own book from home, the local library, or friends, but these books must be pre-approved by a parent/guardian. It is important to note that the first book chosen does not have to be completely finished. A change of book is okay if the student finds that he/she is not enjoying the book. However, the reading plan will need to be revised and the student will still need to start reading a new book. Books chosen will be at an appropriate reading level for the student and I am willing to assist in finding books for students as well. After book selection, each student will then be required to fill out a reading goal worksheet which will help them monitor their progress. All student goals will be approved by me in advance. This will also be viewed by me and used in evaluation of their efforts throughout this process. Periodic activities and indivdual conferences will also be required for this program.

Dear Parent(s) or Guardian(s),

In our English class I have developed a new program in order to encourage students to enjoy reading, as well as increase their reading skills. This program is an Indivdualized Reading Program and is intended to allow students to choose what they read, as well as monitor their individual progress. Your student will be allowed to select a book of his/her choice from our school library, my classroom library, or an outside source. I do ask that all outside books are approved in writing from you.

This program is special and unique in many ways. First, it allows students to have the freedom to read what they enjoy, while being held accountable for making progress with their chosen book. Second, the goal of this reading program is to increase students' positive attitudes toward reading. Many times students are required to read books that the school district or teacher chooses, yet here students are able to develop their own interests through a book of their choice. This will motivate students to read for pleasure, while increasing their reading abilities. Students will also be challenged to set and meet their own goals in this program.

While students are reading, I will be monitoring and assessing thier individual progress. This reading program will account for approximately 10-15% of your student's final grade. Each student will be responsible for completing a reading-goal record sheet, attending one-on-one conferences with me periodically, as well as making a final presentation on the chosen book. Periodic discussions will also be conducted in class as another means to monitor progress. Each student will also be responsible for bringing his/her book to class daily as I will devote approximately 20 minutes of class time per day to individual reading. Students will set their own reasonable goals with regards to the amount of pages read per week, and these goals can be changed provided that the student has a valid reason for adjusting the record sheet.

I am very excited to be implementing this program in our classroom, and I ask for your help by encouraging your student to read at home besides in our classroom. Each student will be at a different level with regards to reading ability and my goal for this program is to help each indivdual build upon their reading strengths. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the Individualized Reading Program, I encourage you to browse around this webpage or contact me directly. You may give me a phone call at school or at home, and I am also able to set up a personal conference with you, should the need arise.

Sincerely,

Lynnae J. Sale
English Department

There are numerous ways for students to find a book to read. I will allow students to check books out of my personal collection, and I will also devote some class time for students to go to the library and browse our school collection of books. I am also constantly looking for classic texts, as well as books of personal interest to students. Some great places to look for books are book warehouses/used bookstores, garage sales, book fairs, and family or school friends. Students should also keep in mind that lending books to others is a cheap and great way to help others find a text. I am also in the process of planning a class trip to the local library so students will have the opportunity to browse their collection as well. Personally, I am pleased when students are able to find a book to read that suits their interests, whether it be baseball, ballet, or bowling. So keep your eyes open for good deals for our classroom, and I would love to know of any great places that you know of that offer good deals on great books!

As already mentioned, one of the goals of this program is for students to choose books that they are interested in. In order to help students know what genres of books they may like to read, I will provide the following survey.

Students:
Please consider your taste in reading and rank each of the following genres from 1-10 (ten is the highest). If you would like examples of books that fall in each category or if you would like a further description of any category, please see me.

Action:

Biography/Autobiography:

Comedy:

Drama:

Fantasy:

Horror:

Mystery:

Romance:

Thriller:

Next, please on the following scales please circle your level of agreement with regards to the following statements. 1=Strongly Disagree, 5=Neutral, 10=Strongly Agree.

"I like to read for fun."

1----------------------------5---------------------------10

"Reading is something that I do in my free time."

1----------------------------5---------------------------10

"I enjoy reading."

1----------------------------5---------------------------10

"I find it easy to find time to read."

1----------------------------5---------------------------10

"It is important to know how to read."

1----------------------------5---------------------------10

With regards to evaluating students on their work, a daily journal will be kept by all students, and this will monitor how many pages they have read, as well as what their individual goals are. I will monitor students and determine whether they are exceeding, meeting, or not achieving their individual goals. All goals will be approved by me in advance, and one-on-one conferences will determine whether these goals are working for the student. Also, each reader will be compiling the data below for me. The information acquired from the Book Evaluation Form will be available in a classroom folder for all students to view.

As previously mentioned, this program is worth a significant portion of the student's grade. The components of the Individualized Reading Program grade will consist of:
*Reading Journal: 30%
*Conferencing & Discussion: 40%
*Book Evaluation Form & Activity: 40%

On a daily basis I will be monitoring students' reading habits: are they prepared, do they spend the time reading, are they completing the forms, etc. Consequently, I will be asking students periodic questions about their book, its themes, what they find interesting, along with what questions they have about their reading. Once students turn in their Book Evaluation Form, I will schedule a Book Conference with the student. At this conference I will determine what kind of success the student is having with the specific book, as well as what kind of progress they are making with their Individualized Reading Program as a whole.

Book Evaluation Form:
Name:
Title of book:
Author:
Genre:
Reason for selection:
Other books read by this author:
A brief summary of the book:
Favorite & least favorite characters and why:
Favorite & least favorite section of book and why:
Difficulties encountered in reading:
What age level is this book appropriate for and why:
Would you recommend this book to others and why or why not:
On a scale of 1-10 (ten is highest) how would you rate this book and why:

*Along with writing this information on a separate piece of paper for each book read, students will be required to make a short presentation discussing this material to the entire class. This is also included in the students' final mark. Students will also complete approximately one "alternative book report" a month on a book of their choice. A topic sheet listing numerous different suggestions for these book reports will be provided. These "reports" will also be presented to the class periodically. Other activities that students may complete besides an alternative book report may consist of: letter writing to characters, newspaper articles detailing events in the book, a newsbroadcast oral presentation about the book, scrapbooks of characters, as well as other activities which will engage students and their chosen text.

Reading-Goal Progress Conference Form:
Name:
Date of Conference:
Book or books read:
What goals have you achieved?
What can I do to help you achieve your goals?
How has your reading changed since you started this book?
What difficulties are you having with this book?
What is your overall opinion or impression of this book so far?
What are two words that you would use to describe this book so far?
Which is your favorite book read this month and why?
What grade do you think you should receive for this month and why?
Name some goals for next month that we can discuss later:
Teacher Comments/Response:

*Please attach all conference forms together so that I may monitor each meeting and formulate questions for each individual student.