Accelerated Reader
Here is a little about the research of reading:
To become fluent readers children need to practice.
Reading a book more than one time is needed to become familiar with the text.
Students need to read 5, 600 words per day to become proficient readers.
If students are reading that many words per day, then they should be able to read and pass several AR tests a week. Accelerated Reader is a tool to help students become better readers. Students read selected titles then take a test on the computer. We find it is best each student read a picture book:
If you are reading a beginning chapter book (first to third grade level) you may want to use sticky notes and write a couple of sentences about important facts or events in each chapter. You should read some of the book to someone and some of the book can be read to you. Talk about the book with someone in your home or a friend. When you talk about the book you should talk about how you have connected to the story. Review your sticky notes before you take your test
Our reading goal is to have fluent readers comprehending what they read. Each student needs to be reading a minimum of 90 words per minute by the end of second grade, but really need to be reading over 100 words per minute. AR is a quick way to check comprehension and help students progress toward that goal of 100+ words per minute.
If your child is having trouble taking AR tests, try Book Adventure. This may help your child take their AR test at school. Everyone will be required to take a minimum of 1 AR test a week- on their library book. We will begin taking AR tests as soon as the program is updated and we can go to the library. I have lots of AR books in my classroom that belong to me.
Our second grade goal is to pass a minimum of 2 AR tests a week with a 70 or higher. Our total class reading levels are 2.0 to 3.8. In my opinion, seven and eight year olds can't really handle the subject matter in most books much above third grade. There are plenty of books that may be above 3.8, that are age appropriate for second graders, but I really want successful readers so I am asking that reading levels not go below second grade or above third grade for now. (August 2006)
After talking with the boys and girls last week about rewards for taking and passing 12 AR tests, we decided on a reward. Our reward is to bring our favorite books, a sleeping bag or blanket, and wear our most comfortable clothes and just lay around reading all day. I will ask some parents to send in juice and popcorn for the day also. Our REWARD DATE IS OCTOBER 6, 2006. EVERYONE must participate to reach a goal of 145 passed tests for this first celebration.
On Thursdays I will look at the reports from AR and remind students that on our Friday trip to the computer lab, they may take a test before they start the assignment. We go to the library on Wednesday, so students may also take AR tests Monday morning in the lab. There is also a computer in the classroom for students to take tests on.
I don't delete tests because students carelessly get into a test they did not mean to take. To take a test, students type in the first two words of the title excluding The or A as the first word. Then they check the title and author. Next the screen asks if it is the correct choice; so before they ever get to the test there have been 3 screens they have to respond to asking if it is the correct test. Students must read the answers in the blanks because the people that write the tests do the standard choice answer format: one off the wall answer, one close answer, and one correct answer.
Please don't take a test on a book your parents read to you and you did not read it yourself... remember you have many years in school to take those tests.
Please remind your child to take their AR tests during the week.
created by J. Vines
Sept 27, 2002
updated August, 2006
