Pima has a comprehensive library with over 14,000 titles on the shelves. A full time librarian and library assistant teach library classes and assist students and teachers in finding appropriate reading and research materials. The library is open Monday through Friday from 7:30 am to 2:30 pm (closed for lunch from 12:00 – 12:30). Open Library Night will continue on Thursday evenings from 6:00 – 7:30 beginning in September. Students may come to the library with their guardians to read and check out books each Thursday night. Go to the Pima Library Web Page.
To enrich our reading program and foster a love of reading, Pima has incorporated Accelerated Reader into its language arts curriculum. Students in grades K-6 can read a wide variety of books and take a computerized comprehension quiz. Using a combined system of vocabulary level, length of the book, and level of difficulty, the book is assigned a reading level. Points are awarded as the reading quizzes are successfully completed by the student.
Students are initially assessed for reading level and choose books from the school library, public library, or other sources from their "zone". Currently, Pima has access to over 110, 000 reading practice quizzes. The best way to check a book’s reading level is to go to the Pima Library Page and click on Check AR Reading Levels. When the comprehension quizzes are taken in the presence of the reading teacher, the AR program calculates the score and maintains records for each student. The program tracks the books a student reads and the scores they receive.
Accelerated Reader motivates children to read, thereby giving them all-important reading practice time, raising their comprehension and reading levels, and improving test scores. The program enables students to read books at their independent reading level, meeting the needs of each individual child. At Pima, we strive for 30 minutes of independent reading time each day. Goals are set by students and teachers, and students are challenged to earn points and raise their reading level. Recognition is given to students for achieving specific point levels during the school year. Go to the Pima Library Web Page.
