Accelerated Reader
How the process works:
How parents can help:
- Students take the STAR Reading Diagnostic Test to determine their individual reading range. Throughout the year, this diagnostic test is given several times to update students' reading ranges.
- Each quarter, teachers set individual point goals for all students using the students' individual reading ranges as a basis.
- Students select a book within their reading range to read.
- Students take the Reading Practice quiz for that book on a computer at school and answer literal comprehension questions about the book. AR quizzes can only be taken at school.
- Based on the number of questions answered correctly, students earn points and receive a score which is added into their average percent correct.
- Every student is striving to meet their individual goal by reaching their point goal with an accuracy rate of 90 percent or higher.
How parents can help:
- Make sure your child reads every day and sign his/her reading log (if the teacher uses one).
- Provide opportunities for your child to select books in his/her reading range from both the Pembroke Pines Charter Central Elementary Media Center and the Public Library.
- Encourage your child to take quizzes on AR books on a regular basis.
- Help your child pace himself/herself toward meeting his/her AR goal for the quarter.
- PLEASE NOTE: In order to meet the goal, your child must meet two criteria: have an average percent correct on quizzes of 90% or higher AND obtain the number of points required by his/her goal.
- Monitor your child's progress using Renaissance Home Connect and discuss the progress with your child.
AR BookFinder
- Go to www.arbookfind.com from home or your public library using your library card. Click on Advanced Search.
- Choose the Interest Level (lower grades K-3; middle grades 4-8).
- Below the Interest Level, enter your child’s reading range. Reading ranges can be provided by your child’s teacher and can usually be found on your child's agenda. Students are encouraged to read books within their reading range.
- You may narrow your search by selecting Fiction/Nonfiction books, English and Spanish or English only books and/or by Topic.
- Click on the Go button and you will get thousands of books.
- Once you find certain books your child is interested in reading, you may add them to your AR BookBag.
- To print out all the books that you added to your BookBag, click on the red bookbag on the top left corner of your screen.
- You can take this list with you to the public library to search for your AR books or you can search the public library’s on-line catalog at www.browardlibrary.org.
- Individual books may also be searched at www.arbookfind.com by titles or by its author.
Renaissance Home Connect
Renaissance Home Connect allows you to track your child's progress toward meeting their quarterly goal. Accessing these online results promotes discussion between parents and their children which motivates students and can make reading practice even more effective. Parents use the child's username and password to login. Parents can sign up to receive an email after your child takes a quiz during the school day (you can enter up to 6 email addresses). Parents and students can see the average percent correct (needs to be 90 % or higher), how many points have been earned, the average book level being read, the number of quizzes passed/taken, the total of words read, and the results for the last quiz taken. Click on View My Bookshelf to look at all the previous books on which quizzes have been taken by your child. Home Connect also contains a link to AR BookFinder so you can search to see if a particular book has a quiz available and is in your child's reading range.
A Guide to Accelerated Reader Lingo
AR = Accelerated Reader
ATOS = a readability formula that estimates the reading difficulty levels of books and other texts. ATOS uses four factors to determine the readability of a text: average sentence length, average word length, vocabulary grade level, and the number of words in a book.
BL = Book Level - measures the difficulty of the text (this is NOT the same as grade level)
IL = Interest Level - indicates the sophistication of the themes and concepts in the text
LG = Lower Grades interest level (approximately K - 3rd)
MG = Middle Grades interest level (approximately 4th - 8th)
UG = Upper Grades interest level (approximately 9th - 12th)
PTS = Points - based on the length (word count) and difficulty (book level) of the text; points are not a reflection of the book's literary value; the number of points earned is a measure of reading practice
RP = Reading Practice quiz - literal comprehension questions about a text
VP = Vocabulary Practice quiz - used for accelerating vocabulary growth and heightening student's interest in words
ZPD = Zone of Proximal Development (also called the Reading Range) - the ideal range of readability levels from which a student should select books to read; indicates the level of text a student can read with comprehension by providing the right balance of independence and challenge; reading within this range allows students to experience optimal growth; a student's ZPD is not necessarily equal to his/her grade level
ATOS = a readability formula that estimates the reading difficulty levels of books and other texts. ATOS uses four factors to determine the readability of a text: average sentence length, average word length, vocabulary grade level, and the number of words in a book.
BL = Book Level - measures the difficulty of the text (this is NOT the same as grade level)
IL = Interest Level - indicates the sophistication of the themes and concepts in the text
LG = Lower Grades interest level (approximately K - 3rd)
MG = Middle Grades interest level (approximately 4th - 8th)
UG = Upper Grades interest level (approximately 9th - 12th)
PTS = Points - based on the length (word count) and difficulty (book level) of the text; points are not a reflection of the book's literary value; the number of points earned is a measure of reading practice
RP = Reading Practice quiz - literal comprehension questions about a text
VP = Vocabulary Practice quiz - used for accelerating vocabulary growth and heightening student's interest in words
ZPD = Zone of Proximal Development (also called the Reading Range) - the ideal range of readability levels from which a student should select books to read; indicates the level of text a student can read with comprehension by providing the right balance of independence and challenge; reading within this range allows students to experience optimal growth; a student's ZPD is not necessarily equal to his/her grade level