Your child will be participating in the Accelerated Reader™ (AR) program
A Parent’s Guide to Accelerated Reader™
Questions and Answers
What is Accelerated Reader (AR)?
AR is a computer program that helps teachers manage and monitor children’s independent reading practice. Your child picks a book at his/her own level and reads it at his/her own pace. When finished, your child takes a short quiz on the computer. (Passing the quiz is an indication that your child understood what was read.) AR gives both children and teachers feedback based on the quiz results which the teacher then uses to help your child set goals and direct ongoing reading practice.
Children using AR choose their own books to read, rather than having one assigned to them. This makes reading a much more enjoyable experience as they can choose books that are interesting to them.
Teachers and librarians help your child choose books at an appropriate reading level that are challenging without being frustrating, ensuring that your child can pass the quiz and experience success.
If your child does not do well on the quiz, the teacher may help him/her:
• Choose another book that is more appropriate,
• Ask more probing questions as your child reads and before he/she takes a quiz,
• Pair your child with another student, or even have the book read to your child.
In most cases, children really enjoy taking the quizzes. Since they’re reading books at their reading and interest levels, they are likely to be successful. This is satisfying for most children. Best of all, they learn and grow at their own pace.
How much will my child read during the school day?
According to Renaissance Learning’s research, children who read at least 20 minutes a day with a 90% comprehension rate on AR Quizzes see the greatest gains. Therefore, your child will have at least 20 minutes set aside for reading during each school day.
How can I help my child become a better reader?
As with anything, performance improves with practice. Encourage your child to read at home. Create a culture of reading in your household by reading with your child, starting a home library, visiting your local library or bookstore on a regular basis, letting your child see you reading, and discussing books that each of you has read. When reading with your child, stop and ask questions to be sure your child is comprehending what is read.
What is a book level?
Book levels are reported using the ATOS readability formula and represent the difficulty of the text. For example, a book level of 4.5 means that the text could likely be read by a student whose reading skills are at the level of a typical fourth grader during the fifth month of school.
What are points?
Every book that has an AR Reading Practice Quiz is given a point value. AR points are computed based on the difficulty of the book and the length of the book (number of words).
For example, the Berenstain Bears books, which are about 8,000 words long and have an average reading level of 3.5, are 1-point books. Hank the Cowdog, which is about 23,000 words long and has an average reading level of 4.5, is a 3-point book.
Children earn points, or a portion of a book’s points, depending on how well they do on the Reading Practice Quiz. For example, a student who takes a 5-question quiz on a book worth 1 point will earn 1 point for 5 correct answers (100 %), 0.8 point for 4 correct answers (80%), etc. A student who reads a book worth 5 points and takes a 10-question quiz will earn 5 points for 10 correct answers (100%), 4.5 points for 9 correct answers (90%), etc. A child needs to pass a quiz with a score of 80% or higher to earn points.
Did you know that Bells Ferry has over 5,809 AR quizes? Have you used quiz list to create your own personal AR list? You haven't! Check out Quiz List located on the link below.
