Creating a success story

For third-grader Tricia Kirchdoerfer, the last page of "Arthur's Promise" wasn't the end of the story.

As she sat at a computer in the St. Mary's School library Wednesday, Kirchdoerfer waited quietly for the results of her reading comprehension test on the book to roll out of a printer.

When she saw 100 percent typed in bold in the center of the page, she grabbed the paper, gave a quick smile to the librarian and headed back to her classroom.

Successful reading results aren't unusual at St. Mary's, which got high marks as a school for the fifth year in a row from a nationwide reading program.

Last week the school learned it had been recertified as a Reading Renaissance model school for the fifth consecutive year, in part because its students read more than 11,000 books during the last school year.

Local schools boast outstanding results from Reading Renaissance, a program used all over the country that teaches children to read by practicing daily and taking comprehensive tests after every book.

Making progress

St. Mary's principal Carol Strattman said she has noticed definite improvements in her students' reading capabilities and overall academic progress since they started using Reading Renaissance.

"We have seen a strength in math, vocabulary and language," she said. "People from the high school tell us the St. Mary's kids sit around and read books even when they don't have to. Reading has just become a part of their lives."

Barbara Kohlfeld, principal of Blanchard Elementary in Cape Girardeau, said her students have been using the program for about two years.

"We have raised our scores on the MAP test tremendously," she said, referring to the Missouri Assessment Program which tests student academic knowledge by grade levels. "In one year we went from having 20 percent of our students in the top two levels in communication arts to having 40 percent in the top two levels."

Kohlfeld said she attributes a lot of that success to the Reading Renaissance program.

"We know that the key to being successful in school is being a proficient reader," she said. "This is a powerful tool in doing just that."

Schools that use Reading Renaissance give every book in their library a point rating based on the readability and length of the book.

At the beginning of the year students are tested to determine their reading level. Then they are given a point goal to meet by the end of the semester through reading books and taking comprehension tests administered by computer.

Each year Renaissance Learning Inc., the Wisconsin-based company that developed the program in 1986, certifies both schools and individual classrooms as models of the program. A spokesman for Renaissance Learning reached Wednesday was not able to give an exact number of model classrooms and schools around the country.

However, he did confirm that St. Mary's in Cape Girardeau received model school certification and several individual classrooms in Southeast Missouri received model classroom certification.

Three classrooms at Oak Ridge Elementary School, three at Perryville Elementary School, eight at St. Mary's and one at St. Vincent Elementary in Perryville received model classroom certification. Another at Perryville Elementary received master classroom certification.

The requirements for master classrooms are more demanding and involve more documentation than the requirements for model classrooms.

Students at St. Mary's read for at least 60 minutes every day.

An hour may seem like a lot of time to get a group of 8-year-olds to sit quietly in one place, but Strattman said people would be surprised to see how peaceful the children are.

"They're reading for comprehension because they know they are going to have to take a test in the end," she said. "But they enjoy it and are interested in their books because they get to choose the ones they want to read."

32 books so far

Adam Parker is the school's top reader.

Wednesday, the sixth-grader finished reading his 32nd book since September.

He said he likes having an hour to read at school since he doesn't always get a chance to read at home.

"I usually read science fiction and fantasy or sometimes even historical fiction books," said the 12-year-old. "It's pretty neat because you can just get lost in a book."

The Reading Renaissance program encourages success through the use of incentives.

First-graders at St. Mary's who complete their first book on their own are surprised during class with a congratulatory helium balloon from Knaup Floral.

Older students strive to meet different goals for prizes like sodas, chips, movie tickets and even a day when they don't have to wear a uniform to school.

At the end of the year, the students who achieve the highest level of points get to take an afternoon off with Strattman to go roller skating or take in a movie and lunch.

Kohlfeld said her second- through sixth-grade students have great incentives to reach their goals, too.

"All of the children have a car," she said, describing a bulletin board used to track reading progress. "When they complete the first step they get their driver's license and then they drive to Hershey, Pennsylvania."

Each quarter students move their cars along to a different location by compiling points.

At the end of this quarter all of the children who reach Hershey will get to watch "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" and eat lots of chocolate treats.

hkronmueller@semissourian.com

335-6611 extension 128