AR is a program that can help students become better readers by encouraging them to practice reading at levels of difficulty that match their levels of skill.  Students take computerized S.T.A.R. tests to find out their initial reading range.  Books in the Discovery library are labeled with the reading level as determined by AR.  So, students should be able to locate books at their particular levels.  When a student finishes reading a book, she takes a multiple-choice quiz (usually 5 or 10 questions) on the computer.  Provided that she gets 60-70% of the questions correct, points are awarded according to the length of the book and the percentage of questions that was answered correctly.  So, points measure practice.  And it is no surprise that the research shows that more that students read at the appropriate level, the better readers they become. 

"Read 'em Cowboy, Read 'em Cowgirl" is the library theme for the 2007-08 school year.  Students at Discovery may earn theme-related awards based on the number of points accumulated during the school year, provided that they average 80% or better on their quizzes.  These awards, generously funded by the PTA, are given at the end of each month.   

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