The eighth grade year is the last year students will use the STAR Assessment and the Accelerated Reader Program. Intended to measure and promote reading growth, AR has encouraged hundreds of ICMS students to read for pleasure and see their progress over the years.
Students set a point goal based on the STAR reading assessment, student feedback, and previous years’ goals. Then, they read books at their interest and ability levels and earn points by taking Accelerated Reader quizzes or completing novel response s (book analyses). This year, we offer a basic fiction novel response, a basic non-fiction novel response, and an advanced book analysis for students who desire an additional challenge.
Students also track their quizzes and reading growth in their Accelerated Reader folders. Parents, please look for AR update sheets after each report card, which indicate how your child performed during the quarter.
Students will have 80 minutes of in-class silent reading time (DEAR – Drop Everything and Read time) per week. Please encourage at-home reading, as well, as parent modeling and encouragement are essential to life-long reading habits. Thank you for your support and investment in your child’s reading.
