D.E.A.R. Program
Drop Everything And Read
Dear Students and Parents/Guardians,
I believe very strongly in the power of choice when it comes to reading. During classroom units,
I choose the books, because I am the teacher; but in real life, and in most reading situations, people do
generally not like it when other people always tell them what to read. This idea is the basis behind my
D.E.A.R. Program. As a student, some of the books I loved the most were books I read on my own, books
I had selected at the library, and books my friends were reading. I firmly believe that kind of reading is
worth a lot, so I encourage and reward it.
In my room, I house a large personal library, which I encourage students to borrow from. To
borrow a book from me, they only need to select one off the shelves, and sign it out using a simple
system. They write the date, their name, and the title of the book they wish to borrow in a notebook at
the back of my room. When a student is done enjoying a book, they return it to a white plastic basket at
the rear or the room. Then, I will cross their name off the borrowed list and re-shelve the book
alphabetically, by author’s last name. Students may keep the books as long as they like, but I may
periodically ask about them, or send home reminder letters. I take inventory on the library twice a year,
at Christmas Break and at the end of the school year. All books should be returned at those times.
The incentive program is designed to reward students for time spent enjoying and “falling into”
the world of a book. During the school year, on every D-day, we will Drop Everything And Read. What
this means is that students get 30-40 uninterrupted minutes to read a free-reading book of their choice.
Students are discouraged from reading books that have been assigned for class, because the purpose of
the incentive program is to get students interested and engaged in books of their choice, but if it is
necessary students will be permitted to reading assigned books during D.E.A.R. days. Students will be
notified ahead of time when D.E.A.R. day will be for the following week, and the day devoted to free and
sustained reading will rotate weekly, falling on every D-day.
For every book students in my English classes read, they will be rewarded with the addition of
one point to their quarterly average in English class. Points are earned by completing a D.E.A.R.
bookmark. These bookmarks need to be filled out as the student reads. Students will record the title and
author of the book they have selected. For each reading session, the student should fill out the date,
and time (or duration) of their reading session. It is not admissible to ask for a bookmark or two, and
then bring it in the next day all filled out. Bookmarks need to be kept as the student reads and not after
the fact. Students can use as many bookmarks as they need to finish the book, and bookmarks can be
turned in at any time during the marking period.
When a bookmark is turned in to Mrs. Meehan, I will typically ask the student a few questions
about their book. If it is a book I have read, I will ask them about it, and if it is a book I haven’t read I will
ask them for a brief summary and a recommendation. I also use my observations. If I see a student
reading in a book, I watch to see their bookmark move. I also listen to hear them talking about the book
to their friends and classmates. Between my observations, the completed bookmarks, and our brief
conversation I will get a general impression of whether or not the student is being earnest about their
having read the book. These steps help to cut down on dishonesty. If I feel they have not read the book,
I will press them farther for more information. Students who are pursuing bonus points must also write
a brief review of their book to share with their peers. If all my observations and records tell me the
student is really reading, then I will place a sticker next to their name on the DEAR reading chart.
Students can earn up to nine (9) extra points per marking period.
Bonus points awarded will be given at the end of each marking period, and those points will be
added to the final quarterly average of the student. No bonus points will be added to the final average
of any student, only during marking periods, and the total number of books read in a marking period will
equal the number of bonus points for that quarter. The bonus points total will return to zero for each
student at the start of each new marking period.
If you have any questions about this reading incentive program, please feel free to contact me
in Room 204, call me at 478-8491 ext. 272, or email me at dmeehan@andovercsd.org. Below is a copy of
what the reading chart for each student will look like. Be looking for your child to bring their reading
chart home at the end of each quarter.
Sincerely,
Devin L. Meehan
High School English
Andover Central School
Room 204