Accelerated Reader

What is Accelerated Reader?

Accelerated Reader (AR) is a computer program that will help to develop your child’s independent reading. It works in quite a simple way; your child will pick a book at their own level, and when finished, they will take a short quiz either at home or at school. If your child passes the quiz about what they have read, then this tells us that they have fully understood the content of the book. By passing the quiz they will also gain ‘points’ depending on the difficulty/length of the book they read.

STAR Reading tests Each term, children in KS2 (and year 2 when ready) take a test on a computer or tablet called STAR Reading. The test uses multiple-choice timed questions to determine a child's reading level. Questions in STAR reading adjust to a child's responses so if they respond correctly, the difficulty increases and if they answer incorrectly, the difficulty level is reduced. When a child has completed the test, their teacher can find out their 'Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD). This will be given to each child on a bookmark.

Book Level Range

The Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) is the book level range. This is the range of books that will challenge a child without causing frustration or loss of motivation. Books that have a quiz on AR are given a 'book level' which represent the difficulty of the text. Book levels range from 0.5-13.5. Children should choose books within their range to make the most progress in their reading. 

Points and Interest Level

Every book that has an AR Reading Practice Quiz is given a points value. AR points are based on the length of the book (number of words). Pupils earn a percentage of points according to how many questions the answer correctly in a quiz.  The Interest Level indicates for which age group a book is suitable for. It does this based on the content and themes.

Quizzing

As mentioned above, children take a quiz once they have finished their book. It is important that children take their quiz as soon as possible after finishing their book as this can affect their scores. They can take these tests at home using the information in their planner to log in - most of the children will remember this off by heart by now! Once they have finished their quiz, children can immediately see if they have passed. If they answer questions incorrectly, they can review their incorrect answers. 

Choosing a Book

Children can check if a book has a new quiz or if a book from home has a quiz by searching for it on the AR Book Finder website. The advanced search on the website is also really useful for finding further books in a specific range. 

 

You can find out more information about AR here:

https://www.renaissance.com/2016/09/09/parents-guide-renaissance-accelerated-reader-360/