Accelerated Reader Information from http://renlearn.com

Accelerated Reader (AR) is the world’s most popular reading management software. Accelerated Reader provides teachers with an easy and effective way to monitor all forms of guided reading practice.
 

The program is designed to:

Get students excited about books. Accelerated Reader helps focus attention on careful reading of books, which improves students’ critical-thinking skills and builds an intrinsic love of reading.


Obtain reliable, objective information. Six different types of quizzes give you valuable data on students’ textbook reading, library book reading, literacy skills development, and more.


Help every student master standards. Accelerated Reader helps teachers raise scores on state tests and ensure mastery of standards. Research proves it!


Improve classroom management. Teachers using AR report higher attendance, fewer discipline problems, and improved attitudes about school.


Keep each student challenged. Using AR, teachers and parents can continuously guide students to appropriate books and curriculum within their zone of proximal development (ZPD). This means you can ensure that every student is challenged without being frustrated.


See how Accelerated Reader aligns with your state standards.

 

Increasing the effectiveness of Reading Renaissance is a priority at Renaissance Learning. They conduct research, analyze practices and results, and listen to the educators implementing their software and practices to ensure that they are maximizing the effectiveness of their Renaissance tools and accelerating learning for all students. Based on this review, it is occasionally necessary to modify Renaissance recommended practices.  Changes affect what educators identify as each student’s ZPD and what they set for book-level and point goals.

One essential tool to help carry-out the new goal-setting recommendations is the revised goal-setting chart. We use it to help plan goals based on reading levels and amount of daily reading practice.


Things to note:

Grade equivalent and ZPD are different.  A grade equivalent score indicates the highest level at which a student can read short passages.  Students shouldn’t be expected to always read books that match their highest reading level.  ZPD estimates a range of book levels at which a student can read for hours without becoming frustrated or under challenged.


92% is okay!  We used to say that students needed more challenge if their quiz averages rose above 92%.  Not any more.  New research shows quiz averages above 90% lead to greater growth.


Ongoing monitoring of reading is the most effective way to improve reading achievement.  Ask questions about the book your child is reading.  If they are having difficulty with a book, try to figure out why.  Is he confused by one part, or is the whole book too hard?  Is he reading too quickly and not understanding, or too slowly that he’s forgetting what happened earlier in the story?  Decide on a strategy.  Maybe have him re-read sections or take notes as he goes.  When a child doesn’t do well on a quiz, be sure to offer guidance as they choose their next book.  They may need to try a shorter or easier one.

 

Goal-Setting :
 

Identify ZPD

Get each student’s Grade Equivalent (GE) score from a standardized assessment, such as STAR Reading, or estimate a GE based on past performance. The corresponding ZPD is a recommended book-level range for the student. If books in that range seem too hard or easy for the student, choose a new range or create a wider one that better matches his abilities.

Point goals

The chart shows the number of points students are expected to earn depending on how much time they read and at what levels. These are estimates.

Set Goals

Set goals that are realistic for your individual students.

Average percent correct

The most important goal for all students is to average 85% or higher on Reading Practice Quizzes. Meeting this goal has significant impact on students’ reading growth. If a student struggles to maintain the minimum average, talk to her and find out why. Then decide on an appropriate strategy to help her succeed.

Provide Daily Reading Practice

Recommendations for independent readers:
Elementary school - 60 minutes
Middle school (6th–8th) - 45 minutes*
High school (9th–12th) - 30 minutes*


* Students reading below grade level need at least 60 minutes of daily reading practice

 

Grade-Equivalent Score

Suggested ZPD

60 Min. Daily Practice

45 Min. Daily Practice

30 Min. Daily Practice

Points
per
Week

Points
per 6
Weeks

Points
per 9
Weeks

Points
per
Week

Points
per 6
Weeks

Points
per 9
Weeks

Points
per
Week

Points
per 6
Weeks

Points
per 9
Weeks

1.0

1.0–2.0

1.7

10

15

1.3

7.5

11.3

0.9

5.0

7.5

1.5

1.5–2.5

1.9

11

17

1.4

8.3

12.8

1.0

5.5

8.5

2.0

2.0–3.0

2.1

13

19

1.6

9.8

14.3

1.1

6.5

9.5

2.5

2.3–3.3

2.3

14

21

1.7

10.5

15.8

1.2

7.0

10.5

3.0

2.6–3.6

2.5

15

23

1.9

11.3

17.3

1.3

7.5

11.5

3.5

2.8-4.0

2.7

16

24

2.0

12.0

18.0

1.4

8.0

12.0

4.0

3.0-4.5

2..8

17

25

2.1

12.8

18.8

1.4

8.5

12.5

4.5

3.2-5.0

3.2

19

29

2.4

14.3

21.8

1.6

9.5

14.5

5.0

3.4-5.4

3.5

21

32

2.6

15.8

24.0

1.8

10.5

16.0

5.5

3.7-5.7

3.9

23

35

2.9

17.3

26.3

2.0

11.5

17.5

6.0

4.0-6.1

4.2

25

39

3.2

18.8

29.3

2.1

12.5

19.5

6.5

4.2-6.5

4.6

28

41

3.5

21.0

30.8

2.3

14.0

20.5

7.0

4.3-7.0

4.9

29

44

3.7

21.8

33.0

2.5

14.5

22.0

7.5

4.4-7.5

5.3

32

48

4.0

24.0

36.0

2.7

16.0

24.0

8.0

4.5-8.0

5.6

34

50

4.2

25.5

37.5

2.8

17.0

25.0

9.0

4.6-9.0

6.3

38

57

4.7

28.5

42.8

3.2

19.0

28.5

10.0

4.7-10.0

6.9

41

62

5.2

30.8

46.5

3.5

20.5

31.0

11.0

4.8-11.0

7.6

46

68

5.7

34.5

51.0

3.8

23.0

34.0

12.0

4.9-12.0

8.3

50

75

6.2

37.5

56.3

4.2

25.0

37.5