Most students and parents know that we really push Accelerated Reader, or AR, which is a guided independent reading program. The reason is because students who read better perform better in all subject areas. Practice is the key to improving any skill. Therefore, it makes sense, and has been proved by research, that the more children read, the better readers they will become. However, to maximize the value of reading, students should be directed to read books that aren’t too easy or too hard for them.
Have you ever wondered how we set the individual student goal for Accelerated Reader? In the lower grades (K-2), the teacher sets the student and class goals. In grades 3-6, we administer the STAR Reading test a few times each year to determine each student’s optimal reading range, also referred to as their Zone of Proximal Development, or ZPD. Based upon each student’s reading level and the expectation that they read a certain number of minutes each day (usually about 30 minutes a day), a point goal is established. After reading a story, a child then takes a computerized test that quizzes him or her about the content. The test result is an indicator of comprehension. A higher percentage of questions answered correctly indicate that the child comprehended, or understood, the material. If the child answers a low percentage of questions correctly, it may indicate that he or she either didn’t read the book carefully, or didn’t understand what was read.
Based on further research, we are ratcheting up the AR goal this year by asking that students maintain an 85% correct score on average (for the semester) in addition to meeting their point goal for each six weeks. The reason is simple: the higher the average percent correct, the higher the reading gains.
Parents can support their children by encouraging them to read at home each night, taking them to the public library to check out books, and reading with them.
Although reading can be its own reward, we do use incentives to motivate children to continue reading both at school and at home. We give out coupon incentives after each six weeks to children who have met their goal. Bristol Motor Speedway partners with Avoca to provide a fun incentive trip after each semester for children who have met their point goal each six weeks and achieved an 85% correct score on AR quizzes averaged over the semester. Students who fall short of their goal for the first semester will have the opportunity to meet their goal, and thereby participate in the end-of-year incentive trip, for the second semester. Parents and students can use the flowchart below to determine if they’re still in the running for an incentive.
