For several years now ARHS has been offering an “advanced reading” component to the grade nine and ten English classes. Those students who had shown an aptitude for English and expressed an appetite for reading were invited to read a set of books from a selected genre for additional marks. Since the province does not allow advanced courses in grade 9 or 10, we felt we should still provide the opportunity and incentive for students who wished to be pushed harder than the standard course. We have purchased a large number of “classic” novels from a variety of genres (e.g. history, 19th century, war, mystery, coming of age, science fiction) and grouped them into packages from which the students choose. The “packages” are weighted so that each advanced reader is doing roughly equivalent work. In some cases this might mean reading 5 extra books, whereas another package might require only two books and a background film. The “reward”, beyond the primary one of experiencing a large number of significant writers, is in the form of 2.5 points added to the student’s mark for each semester. So, a grade nine student who chose “advanced reading” for both semesters would receive 5 points on top of the final mark achieved in the regular course. A grade 10 student, taking English for only one semester, could receive 2.5 points for a successful semester of advanced reading.
The pool of books we will be drawing from includes well over forty titles. The books have been chosen with considerable care. The books have all received critical acclaim and have stood the test of time. Within their genre, they are, for the most part, classics. Still, we encourage you to ask your child what he or she is reading and to feel free to request changes where you find a book unsuitable. Naturally, the teachers will choose the books for this program, but we are confident that a suitable schedule of books can be devised where problems exist.
In the past, we required a student to maintain an 80% average to be eligible for the program. This is still good advice, but in some cases students may be avid readers without, for example, being good test takers. The program is not “extra” reading - it is “advanced” reading. A student should not choose this program if it will interfere with his or her achievement in the regular program. The student who completes three semesters of advanced reading will read upward of 15 significant books. We urge you to encourage your child’s participation in this program.
Program Guidelines
1. Recommend having an 80+ in previous English course
2. Must discontinue if not keeping up with main course requirements
3. Must publish one book review in Expressions
4. Oral and/or written evaluation, as predetermined with teacher
5. May not choose same genre twice (grade 9 through 10)
6. Reading must be completed within the semester
7. If completed to the satisfaction of the teacher:
Grade 9: 2.5 points per semester added to final mark
Grade 10: 2.5 points added to final mark
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