Caroline Starr Rose

picture book and middle-grade author

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Accelerated Reader: Where Do You Stand?

6 Comments

I have read a lot lately about Accelerated Reader (AR): the program, the books, the ways it encourages/discourages reading, advantanges/disadvantanges to participating… the list goes on. The discussion has been lively, interesting, and broad in the opinions expressed.

Several readers have found me by searching for AR titles (which I include in my after-school book clubs). Every year, more schools are participating. Every day, new books are added to the system.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with AR, it is a testing program meant to encourage children to read more and at their reading level. Though schools handle the specifics differently, children earn points for passed tests which can then be used to earn rewards. For example, my son, now in third grade, earned the most points for his grade last year (86, but this Mama’s not counting, or anything) and received a trophy at the end of school closing ceremony.

Where do I fall on the AR debate? Below I’ve pasted a comment I left at Good Reads several months ago.

This is such an interesting discussion to read, as a teacher, mother, and writer. When I first started teaching, AR was optional, and I avoided it, feeling the way many of you have mentioned. Later I became part of a school where it was required. I’ve seen it push children to read. My own sons, natural readers, are very excited about it. It saddens me, however, to see kids held to a reading range, where they can’t sample titles above or below. Several of my older students told me they couldn’t read certain books that connected nicely to my curriculum because they were below their reading level. And many, many kids only pick up books if they are AR, the saddest aspect of the program. However, new and old books are being added to the list daily. I know when I do sell my manuscripts, I will push to be an AR title, as those books get purchased and read.

It’s a mixed bag, isn’t it? Natural readers will read. My son reads both AR and not, happily. Children not so enamored with reading might struggle or find success with AR. What really needs to happen, AR or not, is for teachers and parents to be passionate avocates of literature, reading what’s current and what’s classic, discussing these titles with their children, asking questions, engaging in the conversation that great literature creates. This is how to “make” readers!

What do you think?

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Filed Under: books and reading, teaching

Comments

  1. Kristi Faith says

    September 30, 2009 at 12:25 pm

    I’m so jealous-I was going to post about AR next week. LOL Great minds think alike, eh? 😉

    Like you, I have mixed opinions. My younger brother tests off the charts in any IQ matters-Mensa invited him to join before he hit his sophomore year. However, when he moved to a school that had a required AR program, he made his first “F”. He didn’t find any of the AR books very interesting and his stubborn side won out.

    My nine year old loves to read-but she struggles, it takes her a little longer than some kids and her AR level is lower than she prefers to read. She really struggled through getting the AR points necessary, if only because of time for the tests. She also has test anxiety-already! Now that she is in a school where AR is more extra than required-she reads more.

    When I was a student we did not have AR, but monthly reading incentives and one day a month to bring pillows, blankets and a good book. We would spend the entire school day reading, staff included. We were allowed to choose what we wanted to read and the prizes awarded for certain benchmarks in the number of books read were pretty cool! I would love to see schools go back to that. I believe this approach not only encouraged the ability to read, but the love and sheer freedom that reading offers us.

    Reply
  2. Caroline Starr Rose says

    September 30, 2009 at 12:49 pm

    An entire day devoted to reading? Heaven! I can just imagine how excited I would have been to go to school on a day like that.

    You should still post on AR, why not? Get others involved in the discussion.

    Reply
  3. Natalie says

    September 30, 2009 at 2:33 pm

    I’ve heard my little sisters talk about AR books before but I didn’t really understand what they were. My oldest is in kindergarten so I guess this is something we will be learning more about in coming years. I do think it’s sad that kids would be forced to read books in their “age group.” When I was a kid I sometimes read books that challenged me and books that were probably too easy but I learned from all of them. Age group limitations seem subjective. Still I think testing on reading comprehension is a great thing. It makes the kids accountable to actually read the book and not just fudge book reports–which I did do sometimes. 🙁

    Reply
  4. PJ Hoover says

    October 1, 2009 at 1:43 am

    If it gets kids to read, then I’m all for it! So many teachers are all over the AR list.

    Reply
  5. Kat Heckenbach says

    October 1, 2009 at 3:09 pm

    I homeschool, but I am aware of the AR program, and the comment you made about it limiting kids to their grade level is my biggest complaint. I do think “programs” can help reluctant readers, but holding back an already avid reader seems completely counter-productive! I have a friend whose daughter is only in fifth grade and she is bored to tears with the AR program because she reads at a senior highschool level. To me, the best way to make a reader is to be diligent in finding books that actually interest the child, and of course, to be a reader yourself!

    Reply
  6. Mark Pennington says

    January 26, 2010 at 4:26 am

    Following are short summaries of the most common arguments made by researchers, teachers, parents, and students as to why using AR is counterproductive. Hence, The 18 Reasons Not to Use Accelerated Reader:
    http://penningtonpublishing.com/blog/reading/the-18-reasons-not-to-use-accelerated-reader/

    Reply

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