Reading Counts

Reading Counts is a reading program selected by TOW that emphasizes reading comprehension. It has two components: the Scholastic Reading Inventory (SRI) and Reading Counts. The SRI or Lexile inventory measures your student’s ability to read and comprehend the presented material. Reading Counts is collection of quizzes designed to test your student’s comprehension on books they have read. The TOW PTA sponsors prizes to provide incentives for the students.

SRI is administered in the classroom, resulting in a Lexile number and a corresponding color that will help your student find books of an appropriate reading level in the library. The goal is to guide students toward books that are not too difficult, but still challenge them. Your student will be taking the SRI periodically throughout the year so teachers can assess reading progress.

When your student has completed a book, they can take a Reading Counts quiz on one of the Chromebooks located in the library, in their classroom or at home. Reading Counts can be accessed from Beachport. Each quiz contains 10 questions and students must answer 7 out of 10 questions correctly to pass. For each passed quiz, they earn points. The point value of a book is determined by the complexity of the text (length of sentences, word frequency, word count, etc.).

To motivate students to read and take quizzes, there is an end-of-the-year target point level. To get the students excited and reward them for achieving their goals, the PTA provides prizes at intermittent levels, culminating in a party for those who achieved the year-end target and beyond. In order to manage your student’s progress, there are suggested goals for each semester.

To determine point value for each book, look at the label on the spine.

To determine the Lexile level, it is the number following the Lex on the label or look for the color label that corresponds to the Lexile range.

Not all books are labeled in the library yet. If you are unsure of the level or point value or if the book has a quiz associated with it, visit the Scholastic book expert site and enter either the title or the author of the book.