Accelerated Reader (AR) is a research-based program by Renaissance Learning that develops children’s reading comprehension with regular practice and assessment. Students take a test to determine their zone of proximal development (ZPD), which is the level where optimal learning takes place — not too hard or too easy.
How AR Motivates and Inspires
It’s all about practice! AR encourages substantial differentiated reading practice to create strong readers. Based on each student’s independent reading level, AR helps teachers set personalized goals for each student and select books that are difficult enough to keep a student challenged but not too difficult to cause frustration. Also, AR helps teachers monitor students’ vocabulary growth, literacy skills development, and reading skills taught through basal readers and other reading textbooks.
First, a student’s optimal reading level is determined through a reading assessment (STAR Reading test). This assessment provides information on a student’s overall reading ability and suggests a range of book levels for each student called the “zone of proximal development,” or ZPD.
Teachers then review the test scores to set individualized reading practice goals and monitor progress toward those goals.
Personalized reading practice means students read books of interest at their own level that they can comprehend. AR BookFinder helps teachers, librarians and students find just the right book appropriate to their individual reading level and interest level.
AR offers more than 150,000 quizzes. AR quizzes are constantly being written for fiction and nonfiction titles.
AR provides teachers with immediate information, helping them monitor each student’s reading level and comprehension skills and provide further instruction or intervention. Students and parents get instant feedback to help motivate success using the reports and the Renaissance Home Connect website.
Accelerated Reader Home Connect
Parents can receive instant email updates each time their child takes an Accelerated Reader quiz.
To set up this feature, go to the Renaissance Home Connect login page and enter your child’s login information. (Your child’s teacher can get this for you.)
Your home page will open with a large tab that says “Reading.” At the very top of the page in the right-hand corner, you will see your child’s name, and underneath that, you will see icons for reading and progress. The reading icon will take you to a page to find new AR books, and the progress icon will let you check your child’s progress to his or her goal. Underneath that is a box that says “Get Email Updates.” Click on that link and add your email address. Then anytime your child takes AR or Star tests, you will get an email update with his or her results.
Accelerated Reader BookFinder
Do you want to help your child choose a book or learn how to choose the right book for himself or herself? AR BookFinder is the answer. Use this site to help find AR books at various reading levels that are interesting and enjoyable. Many of these books can be found at our school library or at the Santa Clarita public libraries. Accelerated Reader offers quizzes on more than 150,000 books.