Computer Reading Ben Glaus, Grade 5 ESL Teacher

"In response to the question of how to find a computer program that would help students reach their goals in reading, we use the Accelerated Reader (AR) program. It's easy to use, the kids love it, they read books like crazy, and are compensated for their efforts. We give them "AR dollars" equivalent to the points they earned on tests that can be used at our weekly "AR Store". We have pencils, pens, books, folders, paper, backpacks, games, all sorts of things. They love it, and they love to read.......try it!! "

"AR: Accelerated Reader" Louise Haines, Floyd M. Jewett Elementary

"I also use Accelerated Reader. This is my 4th year and it gets better all the time. I schedule 60 minutes of reading per day, 50 of it independent. The students must earn 80-100% on the comprehension test of the book they read, to earn a ticket. On Friday, I roll a dice and draw that number of tickets from the TOPS jar. I teach second grade and before Christmas break I had four SUPER readers and four INDEPENDENT readers. When we reach those certification goals, students call their parents from the classroom. If they can't be reached at home, we call them at work! Parents don't mind. Matter of fact, we haven't had to make any behavior calls because we are too busy reading and making positive phone calls!"

E-flashcards And Quizzes James Garritson, 7th Grade History Teacher

"Many teachers still use archaic paper flashcards that are small and deteriorate over time. Instead, use PowerPoint or Presentation software to create electronic flashcards. I write the definitions of vocabulary words as individual slides. I then do daily reviews with all of my students by changing the slide. Teachers can quickly change the order of slides using the thumbnail view. Reviewing takes mere minutes of class time daily. And teachers can check to see if students are studying for the test or quiz. As an added idea, teachers can give the quiz electronically. I copy the definitions, add numbers to the definitions, and then give students a blank piece of paper for a quiz. Set the flashcards to automatically change after 25 seconds (this seems to be a very fair amount of time from my experience). Teachers should place a little sound effect to notify students that the slide has changed. This method eliminates the need for quiz copies and giving students too much or too little time for a quiz."