Reading to make a point

A celebration at Floral City Elementary marked the success of the competition, which encourages the students to read.

By PAULETTE LASH RITCHIE

© St. Petersburg Times, published June 1, 2000

FLORAL CITY -- Balloons, sherbert floats, a pair of bulldogs, medals and recognition were all part of the celebration this month for avid readers at Floral City Elementary.

The real triumph, though, may be more apparent to the students later as they benefit from and enjoy their reading skills. That was the purpose of the Accelerated Reader program, which awards points to students who take computerized tests after finishing a book to measure comprehension.

"We're hoping to excel their reading levels and we seem to be achieving that goal," said Title I reading teacher Amy Gysan.

The star of the May 12 celebration was fifth-grader Larry Barfield. In three years, Larry accumulated 1,053 points in the reading program. Most of the books in the program at the school are worth a half point, Gysan said.

But Larry has been reading books that go beyond the elementary school level, books worth five, 18 and as many as 24 points. He has read The Hobbit, Wind in the Willows and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. These books are at seventh-, eighth-, and ninth-grade reading levels. Other students at the school also are reading above grade level. Lexie Shahid, a second-grader, was reading and comprehending fifth-grade-level books and higher, Gysan said. Lexie has earned 364 Accelerated Reader points in a year.

Fourth-grader Jessica Pacitti has been racking up the points, too. She has collected 280.5 in a year.

Other top scorers were: kindergarteners Brittany Burr, 50.4, Amanda Alexander, 38.7, Tess Rivenbark, 39.9; first-graders Marissa Stone, 57.3, and Jessica Piemontesi, 89.5; multiage class first-grader Caroline Christiansen, 68.4; second-grader Brandon Scharpenter, 57.9; multiage class second-grader Andrea Dortch, 90.5; third-graders Andy Rouse, 234.9, Michael Carey, 127.5, Kevin Evans, 137.8, Brandie Edwards, 63.8; fourth-graders Joshua Bannister, 74, Charlene Mead, 206.2, Michael Wilson, 131.2, Ashlyn Morris, 247.7, and Zach Wasserlein, 126.3 points.

A highlight of the celebration, at which all the school's readers were cheered, was the presentation of a giant trophy to Larry Barfield, who earned 551 points this school year. With the help of a few reading parents and teachers, about 450 Accelerated Readers at the school have earned more than 30,000 points this year.

Of course, it couldn't just be handed to him. This needed to be special. The school mascot is Bubba Bullfrog, but the school couldn't find any bullfrogs clever enough to handle the job.However, school officials came up with the next best thing -- bulldogs.

Owned by Dwayne and Karen Radke of Homosassa, the English bulldogs managed to present Larry with his trophy.

"And now we have honorary bullfrog bulldogs," Gysan said.

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