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Horace Mann Library |
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Ask the LibrarianQuestion about the Horace Mann Library Program? Email me at jan.cole@duncanpublicschools.org
How many books can my child check out? Students may check out 2-3 books depending upon grade level. If they need more for a special report, we can override the system and allow students to check out more. Picture books are due one week after check out. Chapter books are checked out for two weeks. If your child needs more time to finish a book, we can recheck the book as long as there isn't a waiting list for it. Yes! Parents can be entered in the system as patrons and check out books to use with their children or in classes for themselves. Are there fines for overdue books? We don't have fines in our library, but want students and parents to realize that if a book is lost or damaged beyond repair, they are expected to replace the book or pay for us to replace the book. Parents can model responsibility by helping their student find a place to keep school books and supplies so that they will be easy to find and safe from pets, younger brothers and sisters or damage such as water damage. Accelerated Reader is a computerized system of reading management. Students take a computerized (10 minute) Star test several times a year that helps determine reading ranges. The whole text of a book is scanned and converted into reading levels by ATOS system. Students are given a range of reading levels to read within that will challenge reading ability, yet not frustrate the student. How important is it that my child read only within his/her reading range? It depends upon the child. This is where the flexibility of the AR program is great. Many children can read quite a bit above their grade level. In my opinion, they should be free to read what interests them. For example, many adult books are written on a 4th or 5th ATOS level. Just because a child can read a higher level book doesn't mean that the content of the book is appropriate for his or her age level. A lower reading level may cover the INTEREST LEVEL of your student. So allow some flexibility within the reading level. My child reads below grade level. Will it be embarrassing to check out books? We have a very liberal check out policy at Horace Mann. Students may check out up to three books--and even more if they are doing a special report. Students check out books to read to younger students, they check out books on particular subjects they are interested in, they check out books just because they look interesting and they check out books for their AR reading. So every student has a wide variety of books and levels checked in and out all the time. What can I do as a parent to help my child's reading progress? Read TO your child--no matter how old s/he is--enjoy books together on a regular basis. Spend the last few minutes of the day enjoying a chapter of a book. And read WITH your child on a regular basis. Listen to your child read. There is no substitute for 10-20 minutes of regular practice. I don't read that well aloud. How can I improve? We have books on tape and CD's. Enjoy listening to them aloud with your child and follow the text in the book. These books are recorded by professionals so they are very entertaining to listen to. Also remember to go to the Public Library and check out their resources of Playaway books. Enjoy spending quiet, uninterrupted time with your child or children as often as possible. How can I check my child's reading progress? The teacher is the best source of information, but you can check your child's independent reading progress by accessing his/her AR progress from any computer linked to Internet. Go to our home page for instructions on how to request permission to access your child's scores. |
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