Accelerated Reader – A Brief Introduction for the First Timers
Accelerated Reader is software designed and developed by Renaissance Learning Inc. The software is mainly designed to assess the reading skills of the user and keeps a record of the improvement/progress in certain number of day or weeks. The software can be downloaded for use as a desktop application or could be used online from Renaissance Place, a webpage maintained by the Renaissance Learning Inc.
Accelerated Reader has been widely used in primary and secondary schools where teachers have been benefiting from this genius program to assess the progress in reading skills of their students. Accelerated Reader is more than just a software. It consists of various components which make this software to stand out from the rest! The components Accelerated Reader contains are: ATOS (Formulae to assess the text-reading skills), reading practicing quizzes, and progress reports (which are usually generated on demand of teachers, students, and parents to monitor the progress).
The effectiveness of the Accelerated Reader on the reading skills
A lot of research has been carried out to study the effectiveness of Accelerated Reader when it comes to the software’s reading skills enhancement factors. One of such studies was carried out By Turner (1993) who tested the imapct of Accelerated Reader (AR) by observing some students in New Jersey Middle School who were using AR for more time and compared their results witht the results of those who were using AR for less time. Turner observed that "increasing reading activity had a positive relationship with improved reading comprehension". (Source: www.sdkrashen.com)
Take test on Accelerated Reader on the Internet
The Accelerated Reader is available as a downloadbale dektop apllication or cann be used online. The Renaissance Learning Inc. have maintained a separate website where you can use this application online while your are using your Internet. The website maintained by Renaissance Learning on the Internet requires login information which means you need to register yourself first. Several school has registered themselves on the Accelerated Reader’s website and you can consult your teahcer to get the loging informatuion.
Teacher Professional Development in Accelerated Reader
At Aurora Elementary we have the reading program Accelerated Reader. We have the online version of the program and buy seats for 100-300 students at a time depending on the year and interest form the teachers.
Accelarate Reader
A quick Google search on Stephen Krashen +Accelerated Reader brought up a white paper entitled Does Accelerated Reader Work? Here are the findings in a nutshell: The results presented here strongly suggest that of the four aspects of AR.
The Accelerated Reader test
While Accelerated Reader is a helpful tool for parents and teachers, and does provide a certain among of incentive for our children, it is not the end -all-be-all program. We must remember not to live or die by the Zone Proximity.
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