1,200 iRead Books

Librarian Margaret Fisher helps a student find a book in the new iRead collection.Three Bethany teachers—Mrs. Grieser, Mrs. Hershberger, and Mrs. Nafziger—have pooled 1,200 books from their personal/classroom collections to start a new iRead collection in the library that is categorized according to Lexile reading levels.

With books categorized by the Lexile reading level, students can more easily choose books appropriate to their reading level, which is determined at least twice each year (as part of NWEA testing).

Sixth graders peruse the iRead collection.This iRead collection is targeted for middle school use—though it may be appropriate for some younger or older readers as well—and language arts teachers expect each middle school students to have at least one book at their reading level checked out at all times. Books are categorized by reading level and then by author. In addition each book’s label notes its genre such as fiction, historical fiction, or fantasy.

Thank you to these three teachers, plus librarian Margaret Fisher, library volunteer Diane Bodiker, and some of their family members, for the more than 200 hours they volunteered this summer to get this collection ready for use.