For Kindergarten to 2nd Grade Only

"Riding the Wave of Reading Success!"

Dear Cougar Families:

 “Drop in” and surf the Courreges Waves this year as our Best Paw Reading program is here for 2008-2009. The program’s objective is to improve our children’s reading and comprehension skills for K- 2nd graders. Please note that Grades 3-5 have moved to a new program called the Accelerated Reader Program (for details click here) where students will be able to test on their classroom computers completely supervised and run by their teachers.

Participation in this PTA sponsored program is voluntary unless your child’s classroom teacher decides otherwise. Best Paw books are pre-selected, students are free to choose any book from their appropriate level or higher grade level. The Best Paw levels are as follows (to access the book list, click buttons below):

– kindergarten or non-reading first graders

- 1^st grade, Reading level 1.0-1.9

- 2^nd grade, Reading level 2.0-2.9

- 3^rd grade, Reading Level 3.0-3.9

- 4^th grade Reading Level 4.0-4.9

- 5^th grade Reading Level 5.0+

- Reading level 6.0+ and/or sophisticated themes

- The entire Best Paw booklist

Best Paw books are identified throughout the school with colored dots on their spine. Our school library has a Best Paw section as well as each of our classroom libraries.

Your child is free to read any Best Paw book that you have in your personal library or find in the local public libraries.

Here is an outline of the program for the 2008-2009 school year:

1. Training Dates for Parent interviewers are Sept 30 and Oct 3^rd at 8:05 AM in the multipurpose room - please click here for details: TRAINING. All K-2 Best Paw volunteers are required to attend.
2. The program will begin Monday, October 6, 2008 for all students in grades K – 2.  Students can read a Best Paw book and be tested starting this day and afterwards.
3. Grades 3-5 will be using the Accelerated Reader program in their classrooms, and this will be monitored by their teacher.
4. K-2 Students are interviewed or tested by parent volunteers. If they can answer the questions with 80% accuracy, they will receive points for the book, depending on the color.
5. Points are awarded as follows:
   • yellow and brown books - 1 point
   • orange and blue books - 2 points
   • green and red books - 3 points
   • gray books - 4 points
6. Students can only be tested and receive points once for each title.
7. Students receive incentive prizes for every 5 points they earn. Upon earning 30 points they will be invited to an ice cream party on Thursday, May 14, 2009. For each point after 30 they will receive a raffle ticket good for a chance to win Cougar Bucks to be spent at the spring bookfair. “Super Readers” earning 60 Points will be guaranteed another prize.
8. The final day to be tested for Best Paw will be Friday, May 1, 2009.  THERE ARE NO EXCEPTIONS TO THIS DATE.
9. If a student begins the program reading below grade level, s/he will be asked to move up to grade level after 15 points (with the classroom teacher’s approval). The classroom teacher will determine which students can begin the program below grade level.

Questions? Give us a call or catch us at school.

Jennifer Edmonds 714-963-0755 or Laura Villafuerte 714-593-6355 or

email bestpaw@curregespta.org