Accelerated Reader: A tutor friendly system
To manage our reading program, we use a computerized system called “Accelerated Reader”. This administrative tool helps us track the reading progress of each and every student. The data the system generates allows our teachers to make key judgments as to how to guide a student to reading success. As important as this tool is to our teaching staff, it is even more important to our volunteer tutors. All of our students are pre-tested when they enter our program to determine their equivalent reading grade level. So each student receives a starting grade level such as 3.1, which would indicate third grade first month. This score establishes a base for an individual student from which all progress will be determined. The student knows what book level they are reading on, as does the teacher, but more importantly so does the tutor. The tutor knows the corresponding grade level of the child he or she is working with thus they are assured that the book they read together is appropriate for that child. At each site, we have a library with books that are color-coded by grade level, and broken down in monthly increments, e.g. 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, etc. If a student is reading on a 3.1 level, the tutor goes to the 3.1 section and selects a book with the student. When the tutor and student have completed reading the book, the student takes a quiz on the computer to see if what was read was comprehended. The score is received immediately so both the student and the teacher get to see how they did with that book. If successful on the quiz, the student feels good, but equally important so does the tutor. The system tracks every book that is read by a student including the grade level and the quiz score. This is how progress is tracked. If a student is getting 90% on the quizzes, then the grade level of the books to be read will be moved up. At the end of the program, the student is assessed once again to determine their reading grade level. The difference between the pre-test and post-test scores measures the number of months of reading progress. The bigger the better!
Accelerated Reader (AR) is the most popular and successful reading product of all time. AR’s advanced technology helps:
- Make essential reading practice more effective for every student.
- Personalize reading practice to each student’s current level.
- Manage all reading activities including read to, read with, and read independently.
- Assess students’ reading with four types of quizzes: Reading Practice, Vocabulary Practice, Literacy Skills, and Textbook Quizzes.
- Build a lifelong love of reading and learning.
- For more information on AR, visit their website at http://www.renlearn.com/ar/.