Accelerated Reader
Dear Third Grade Parents,
Third grade students use an important tool in our reading program. Below you will find information that will help you understand more about it and why we are using this technology at Lafayette.
What is Accelerated Reader (AR)?
Accelerated Reader is an innovative computerized assessment system that provides feedback to help teachers motivate and monitor student reading practice.
How does it work?
Students use the program by reading a book of their choosing and taking a short computer comprehension quiz. The computer then scores the quiz, assigns the student points depending on the degree of success, and provides teacher and student with reports detailing the student's progress.
How does it benefit the student?
Accelerated Reader Quizzes are used to help children read within their (ZPDs) Zones of Proximal Development. A great deal of reading practice, by itself, does not always improve reading. The reading practice must be on materials at the proper level ( not too hard, nor too easy), within the student's ZPD. Otherwise the student will not be fully developing vocabulary, comprehension, and other important reading skills.
One of the main benefits of the program is that children are allowed to choose their own books, which helps keep them motivated to read. Teachers use this management program because it helps facilitate:
- More frequent and detailed assessment in less time and with greater consistency
- Formative feedback for the student
- Student development of metacognitive awareness
- Increased student motivation to read more, longer, and harder books
- Formative feedback for the teacher
- Class-wide diagnostic information, including alerts regarding students who are at risk
I also wanted you to know that I expect the kids to take AR quizzes on books they have read at home for homework. You will find that many books you already own have quizzes available. To see if a book has an AR quiz and is within your child’s reading range, go to this link and input the book title.
http://www.arbookfind.com/UserType.aspx
Thank you for supporting and encouraging your third grader to develop lifelong reader skills.