The purpose of the AR program is to improve reading achievement. In the AR program, students read a book, take a comprehension test, and are awarded points. The point value of a book is based on length and reading level. Since the tests and student records are online, it is relatively easy for schools to require students to accumulate a certain number of points each marking period.

There are over 200,000 books covered by this AR program, and books do not have to meet any special criteria to be included. There is a wide range of quality among all these titles. While there is value in students reading any book, we want AR to be more than an accounting system. We attempt to guide students toward titles that will challenge (but not frustrate) them. Book talks and reading lists are used extensively. Classes are taught the “five-finger rule” to help readers select books of appropriate reading level.

In a further attempt to keep reading from being “points driven,” the library has an AR Passport program. We use this to encourage students to read materials from different genres. There is more about this program under “Passport”.

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Instructions for Parents and Students on how to use Home Connect (Grades 3 – 8)

1. Go to – https://hosted7.renlearn.com/125533/Public/RPM/Login/Login.aspx?srcID=t
2. Use your child’s AR username and password and login to the AR Home Connect system. (This information will come from your child’s teacher.)
3. Click on “Email Set-up” in upper right-hand corner. Enter the information for up to 6 email addresses that you would like to receive information every time your child takes an AR quiz (including which book was tested on, along with the quiz results).
4. Go back to the home page and you will find the following:
   1. My Overall Progress – Shows your child’s progress on quizzes taken and the number of points achieved and compares them to their grade level goals. This will also show the average reading level of books your child has quizzed on. Note – information is displayed for only quizzes that have been passed (thus the importance of the email notifications in step #3 above).
   2. My Last Quiz – Shows information on the last quiz your child took. Click on the book for more details.
   3. View My Bookshelf – Shows book covers for all the quizzes your child has ever taken at Immanuel (if passed). Click on each book cover for more information on each book. Titles can be sorted in date or alpha order.
   4. AR Book Finder – Use this link to search for books that are AR and have AR quizzes. Be sure to use the Advanced Search tab to customize your search.

Welcome to Immanuel’s “Passport ARound the World” program! This program compliments the Accelerated Reader (AR) Program by encouraging students to read not only for points, but to read for a broader range of reading experience. The program helps to make students more “literate” by encouraging them to read different genres and book categories. Students in 3rd-5th grades need to earn 100 AR points and complete one passport by Friday, May 5th to be eligible for the Urban Air field trip on Wednesday, May 24th, 2023.  6th-8th grades need to earn 125 AR Points by Friday, May 5th to be eligible for the CJ Barrymores field trip on Tuesday, May 30th, 2023.

The goal is for students to read at least one book of their own choosing from each genre listed, and complete at least one passport by the end of the school year. Once a book from each category has been read (and the AR quizzes have been passed), the passport is complete and the student will earn a prize. To help guide student reading, we have compiled lists for each passport category which can be found in the library and are listed on this website. The following gives you a brief definition of each book category on the passport:

3rd & 4th Grades (only)

• Award Winner – Include books given the John Newbery Medal (most outstanding contribution to children’s literature), the Ralph Caldecott Medal (most distinguished American picture book) and Michael L. Printz Award (young adult literature).
• Folktale – Stories which feature common folks, such as peasants, and commonplace events. There may be some “make-believe” elements, like talking animals, but the stories, overall, sound logical – even realistic. Folk tales are stories with no known creator which were originally passed down from one generation to another by word of mouth. They seek to explain things about life, nature, or the human condition. (ex: Paul Bunyan)
• Historical Fiction – Stories which take place in a particular time period in the past. Often the basic setting is real, but the characters are fictional. (ex: Molly’s Pilgrim)
• Mystery – Fictional stories, usually realistic, about a mysterious event which is not explained or a crime that is not solved until the end of the story to keep the reader in suspense. (ex: Cam Jansen series)
• Nonfiction – All of the information in a non-fiction book is based on true facts. Nonfiction books include how-to books, science books, history books, biographies, autobiographies and much more. Nonfiction books can be about any subject.
• Free – This can be any book a student reads and passes the AR test.

5th & 6th Grades (only)

• Award Winner – Include books given the John Newbery Medal (most outstanding contribution to children’s literature), the Ralph Caldecott Medal (most distinguished American picture book) and Michael L. Printz Award (young adult literature).
• Biography – Include books about famous people, written by another person (not autobiography)
• Classic – These are book titles taken from various lists which were chosen to stand the test of time. (ex: Rainbow Fish, A Wrinkle in Time)
• Historical Fiction – Stories which take place in a particular time period in the past. Often the basic setting is real, but the characters are fictional. (ex: Molly’s Pilgrim)
• Mystery – Fictional stories, usually realistic, about a mysterious event which is not explained or a crime that is not solved until the end of the story to keep the reader in suspense. (ex: Cam Jansen series)
• Nonfiction – All of the information in a non-fiction book is based on true facts. Nonfiction books include how-to books, science books, history books, biographies, autobiographies and much more. Nonfiction books can be about any subject.
• Free – This can be any book a student reads and passes the AR test.

7th & 8th Grades (only)

• Biography – Include books about famous people, written by another person (not autobiography)
• Classic – These are book titles taken from various lists which were chosen to stand the test of time. (ex: Rainbow Fish, A Wrinkle in Time)
• Fiction – Any AR book that is fiction (not true)
• Historical Fiction – Stories which take place in a particular time period in the past. Often the basic setting is real, but the characters are fictional. (ex: Molly’s Pilgrim)
• Newberry Award winner or Newberry Honor -John Newbery Medal (most outstanding contribution to children’s literature)
• Nonfiction – All of the information in a non-fiction book is based on true facts. Nonfiction books include how-to books, science books, history books, biographies, autobiographies and much more. Nonfiction books can be about any subject.
• Young-Adult – These are books that are appropriate for older children specifically for grades 7th-8th only.  These books can be fiction, nonfiction, or any other genres.
• Free – This can be any book a student reads and passes the AR test.

*Please note – many books could fit into more than one category*

I will strive to create a fun and inventive, educational atmosphere where children are engaged in learning and absorbing knowledge from all that is presented during the course of the day. I believe it is important to encourage students to be independent and to use critical thinking skills when they solve problems. In addition, students will be taught how to maintain a positive attitude and excel at good citizenship. Above all, kindness and humanity will be the order of the day.

[pdf-embedder url=”https://immlutheran.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Award-Winners-updated-February-2017.pdf” title=”Award Winners – updated February 2017″]

[pdf-embedder url=”https://immlutheran.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Classics.pdf”]