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| WHAT IS ACCELERATED READER? |
| The Accelerated Reader (AR) Program is designed to test students after they have read a book. Almost all the books in the school and classroom library can be found in the Accelerated Reader database. I highly encourage all of my students to take an Accelerated Reader Test after each book they read, but I do not require that every book a student reads has to be an Accelerated Reader book, as I do not believe that students should solely be reading a book just to take a test. |
| WHAT TO EXPECT |
| Your child should will be allowed to check out two-to-three books every two weeks from our classroom library or the school's Media Center. I require that at least one of those books be an A.R. Book. During the week, the children are given ample time to use the computer and take A.R. quizzes. Therefore, there is really no excuse for a child to fall behind in the A.R. Program. I expect each student to do at least 1 AR Test per week. For a minimum of 9 AR Test in one grading period. |
| WHAT IS EXPECTED |
| Students will decide on a point goal each month. The class will also be working on a class goal. When a student reaches his/her goal they will be able to earn small prizes. If the entire classes reaches its goal, then the entire class will receive a special surprise party (pizza party, ice cream party, movie & popcorn, etc.) Parents, please make sure your child is reading their library books at home. That way he/she can get an acceptable score on their AR Test. Individual student scores are posted in our classroom for all the children to see and become motivated. An incentive is given to the top readers as well. |
| WILL ACCELERATED READER BE GRADED? |
| Yes, every now and then I may take a reading grade on a book. I always let the class know ahead of time if I plan to take a grade on a certain week. That gives everyone plenty of time to catch up. If a student is reading his/her books and is comprehending what he/she is reading, then there is nothing to worry about. :) The grading system goes as following: |
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90%-100%= A |
| 80%-89%= B |
| 70%-79%= C |
| 60%-69% = D |
| 0%-59%= F |
| HOW DOES IT WORK? |
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A student who uses the AR program must first select a book at his or her level from our school's Media Center that is labeled AR. There are more than 25,000 titles to choose from. Each AR book is assigned a point value based on the number of words it contains and its reading difficulty. Students select their own books and read at their own pace. In addition, I may choose to allow students to take tests on books that are read to and with them. After reading the book, the student goes to a computer and takes a multiple-choice comprehension test on the book's content. Tests may have 5, 10, or 20 items, depending on the length and difficulty of the book. The computer scores the test, awards the student points based on the results, and keeps a complete record. For a book valued at 10 AR points, a student would receive 10 points for a score of 100 percent, 9 points for 90 percent, and so on. However, the student must score at least 60 percent on the test to earn any points at all. All types of student reading are monitored with this program, including guided, paired, literature-based, and textbook reading. Accelerated Reader provides me with assessment information to help them motivate reading in the classrooms, monitor progress, and target instruction to accelerate reading growth. I can get easy-to-read reports on the reading level and comprehension skills of each student to guide instruction and help the student select more appropriate reading materials. |
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