Book A Month
DLS has a Book-a-Month program designed to help students improve their reading and their enjoyment of reading in order to establish patterns for a lifetime of recreational reading, as well as to improve vocabulary and SAT/ACT scores. Students choose books they enjoy, subject to teacher’s approval.
2008-2009 School-Year "BAM" Books
F=Fiction, NF=Nonfiction, A/B=Autobiography/Biography
Approval Date - Due Date - Type of Book
Monday, August 25 - Wednesday, September 17 - F
Monday, September 22 - Monday, October 13 - A/B
Monday, October 20 - Monday, November 10 - F or NF (may be A/B)
Monday, November 17 - Monday, December 8 - F
Monday, December 15 - Tuesday, January 20 - F or NF (may be A/B)
Monday, January 26 - Tuesday, February 17 - F
Monday, February 23 - Monday, March 23 - A/B
Monday, March 30 - Tuesday, April 20 - F
Monday, April 27 - Monday, May 18 - F or NF (may be A/B)
BAM Deficiency Policy
If a BAM report is not completed on time, the late report earns a grade of 0%. A BAM Deficiency Report is sent home to parents with the following policy stated:
If the report is not completed (no later than Monday of the last week of the quarter), then the highest grade the student can earn for the quarter is a 65%.
* High school students not enrolled in an English course will be assigned to an English teacher and will be expected to give BAM reports to that teacher for the semester. It will be the student’s responsibility to contact the assigned teacher to schedule book approval and report presentations.
ON READING
“I will not claim that FVR (free voluntary reading) is the complete answer. Free readers are not all guaranteed admission to Harvard Law School. What the research tells me is that if children or less literate adults start reading for pleasure, however, good things will happen. Their reading comprehension will improve, and they will find difficult academic-style texts more comprehensible. Their writing style will improve, and they will be better able to write prose in a style that is acceptable to schools, business and the scientific community. Their vocabulary will improve and will improve at a better rate than if they took one of the well-advertised vocabulary building courses. Also, their spelling and control of grammar will improve. "IN OTHER WORDS, FREE READERS HAVE A CHANCE. THE RESEARCH ALSO TELLS ME, HOWEVER, THAT THOSE WHO DO NOT DEVELOP THE PLEASURE READING HABIT SIMPLY DON’T HAVE A CHANCE—THEY WILL HAVE A VERY DIFFICULT TIME READING AND WRITING AT A LEVEL HIGH ENOUGH TO DEAL WITH THE DEMANDS OF TODAY’S WORLD.”
– Stephen Krashen, The Power of Reading: Insights from the Research, 1993, Libraries Unlimited, Englewood, Colorado