Accelerated Reader

Last updated
Accelerated Reader
Developer(s) Renaissance Learning
Initial release1986;38 years ago (1986) [1]
Operating system Windows, macOS
Type Educational
Website www.renaissance.com/products/accelerated-reader/

Accelerated Reader (AR) is an educational program created by Renaissance Learning. It is designed to monitor and manage students' independent reading practice and comprehension in both English and Spanish. The program assesses students' performance through quizzes and tests based on the books they have read. As the students read and take quizzes, they are awarded points. AR monitors students' progress and establishes personalised reading goals according to their reading levels. [2] [3]

Contents

Components

ATOS

ATOS is a readability formula designed by Renaissance Learning. [4]

Books with quizzes in Accelerated Reader are assigned an ATOS readability level. This ATOS score is used by AR in combination with a book length to assign a point value to each book. [5] It can also be used by students to help choose books of appropriate reading levels. [4]

Quiz

Accelerated (going up to 7th grade) Reader (AR) quizzes are available on fiction and non-fiction books, textbooks, supplemental materials, and magazines. Most are in the form of reading practice quizzes although, some are curriculum-based with multiple subjects.

Many of the company's quizzes are available in an optional recorded voice format for primary-level book in which the quiz questions and answers are read to the student taking the quiz. These quizzes are designed to help emerge English and Spanish readers to take the quizzes without additional assistance.

The Renaissance Place version of Accelerated Reader also includes quizzes designed to practice vocabulary. [6] The quizzes use words from books, and are taken after the book has been read. Bookmarks can be printed out to display the vocabulary words so that as students read, they can refer to the bookmark for help. The quizzes will keep track of the words learned.

Reports

The TOPS Report (The Opportunity to Praise Students) reports quiz results after each quiz is taken. Diagnostic Reports identify students in need of intervention based on various factors. The Student Record Report is a complete record of the books the student has read.

Evaluation research

A number of studies have been conducted regarding the effectiveness of using Accelerated Reader in the classroom. The following two studies were reviewed by the What Works Clearinghouse and were found to meet their research standards. [8]

In a study conducted in Memphis, Tennessee, 1,665 students and 76 teachers from 12 schools (grades K-8) were surveyed. The study involved randomly selecting some teachers to implement the Accelerated Reader software, while others continued with the regular curriculum without the software. The results indicated that students in classrooms utilising the Accelerated Reader program showed academic gains. [9]

In another study, Nunnery, Ross, and McDonald evaluated the reading achievement of students in grades 3–8. They examined the impact of individual, classroom, and school factors on reading achievement. The findings revealed that students in classrooms using the Accelerated Reader program outperformed those in control classrooms. Additionally, students with learning disabilities in classrooms with high levels of Accelerated Reader implementation showed better performance compared to similar students in classrooms with low or no implementation. [10]

Other evaluations

In a controlled evaluation, Holmes and Brown found that two schools using the School Renaissance program achieved statistically significantly higher standardized test scores compared with two comparison schools that only used the Renaissance program in a limited way. [11] Because so many schools in the United States are using Accelerated Reader, it was difficult for the authors of this study to find two schools in Georgia that were not already using Accelerated Reader. The authors noted:

In all nine comparisons involving standardized test scores in reading, language arts, and mathematics, the Renaissance schools' children outperformed the contrast school's children. It can only be concluded that the Renaissance program was highly effective in raising the performance of these elementary students.

—  [11]

In 2003, Samuels and Wu found that after six months, third and fifth grade students who used Accelerated Reader demonstrated twice the gain in reading comprehension as those that did not use Accelerated Reader. [12] [13] The comparison students completed book reports suggesting that delayed feedback through book reports is not as useful as the immediate feedback provided by Accelerated Reader. In another study, Samuels and Wu found students in Accelerated Reader classrooms in a Minnesota elementary school after controlling the amount of time spent reading each day outperformed students in control classrooms. [14] [15]

Researcher Keith Topping completed many studies on Accelerated Reader that found the software to be an effective assessment for deciding curriculum. [16] [17]

Criticism

Renaissance Learning, the developer of Accelerated Reader, has outlined the primary purpose of the program as an assessment tool to gauge whether students have read a book, [5] not to assess higher-order thinking skills, to teach or otherwise replace curriculum, to supersede the role of the teacher, or to provide an extrinsic reward. Educator Jim Trelease however, describes Accelerated Reader, along with Scholastic's Reading Counts!, as "reading incentive software" in an article exploring the pros and cons of the two software packages. [18] Stephen D. Krashen, in a 2003 literature review, also asserts that reading incentives is one of the aspects of Accelerated Reader. He reiterates prior research stating that reading for incentives does not create long-term readers. [19]

Renaissance Place does include recognizing setting and understanding sequence as examples of higher-order thinking. [20] Turner and Paris's study explore the role of classroom literacy tasks in which students take end-of-book tests called Reading Practice Quizzes that are composed of literal-recall questions to which there is only one answer. Turner and Paris would classify these quizzes as "closed tasks." They concluded that open-ended tasks are more supportive of literacy growth in the future. [21]

Florida Center for Reading Research, citing two studies that support the product, noted both the lack of available books in a school's library and the lack of assessment of "inferential or critical thinking skills" as weaknesses of the software. Their guide also noted a number of strengths of the software, including its ability to motivate students and provide immediate results on student's reading habits and progress. [22]

Use of the program has been criticized by Scholastic as preventing children from reading from a variety of difficulty levels. A PowerPoint from Scholastic made in 2006 indicates that 39% of children between the ages of five and ten have read a Harry Potter novel with 68% of students in that age range having an interest in reading or re-reading a Harry Potter book. [23] For example, the ATOS reading level of {Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone} is 5.5 (with ATOS numbers corresponding to grade levels). This would indicate that students below that grade range may not be able to read and comprehend the book. Since teachers, parents and students use readability levels to select books, this may discourage students from reading the book as the student is under pressure to earn Accelerated Reader points during the school year. Although, students can take tests and earn points for books at any ATOS level.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phonics</span> Method of teaching reading and writing

Phonics is a method for teaching reading and writing to beginners. To use phonics is to teach the relationship between the sounds of the spoken language (phonemes), and the letters (graphemes) or groups of letters or syllables of the written language. Phonics is also known as the alphabetic principle or the alphabetic code. It can be used with any writing system that is alphabetic, such as that of English, Russian, and most other languages. Phonics is also sometimes used as part of the process of teaching Chinese people to read and write Chinese characters, which are not alphabetic, using pinyin, which is alphabetic.

Readability is the ease with which a reader can understand a written text. The concept exists in both natural language and programming languages though in different forms. In natural language, the readability of text depends on its content and its presentation. In programming, things such as programmer comments, choice of loop structure, and choice of names can determine the ease with which humans can read computer program code.

Reading for special needs has become an area of interest as the understanding of reading has improved. Teaching children with special needs how to read was not historically pursued due to perspectives of a Reading Readiness model. This model assumes that a reader must learn to read in a hierarchical manner such that one skill must be mastered before learning the next skill. This approach often led to teaching sub-skills of reading in a decontextualized manner. This style of teaching made it difficult for children to master these early skills, and as a result, did not advance to more advanced literacy instruction and often continued to receive age-inappropriate instruction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sustained silent reading</span>

Sustained silent reading (SSR) is a form of school-based recreational reading, or free voluntary reading, where students read silently in a designated period every day, with the underlying assumption being that students learn to read by reading constantly. While classroom implementation of SSR is fairly widespread, some critics note that the data showcasing SSR's effectiveness is insufficient and that SSR alone does not craft proficient readers. Despite this, proponents maintain that successful models of SSR typically allow students to select their own books and do not require testing for comprehension or book reports. Schools have implemented SSR under a variety of names, such as "Drop Everything and Read (DEAR)", "Free Uninterrupted Reading (FUR)", or "Uninterrupted sustained silent reading (USSR)".

Reading comprehension is the ability to process written text, understand its meaning, and to integrate with what the reader already knows. Reading comprehension relies on two abilities that are connected to each other: word reading and language comprehension. Comprehension specifically is a "creative, multifaceted process" that is dependent upon four language skills: phonology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics.

Renaissance Learning, Inc. is a software as a service and learning analytics company that makes cloud-based, Pre-K–12 educational software and adaptive assessments. Renaissance employs about 1,000 employees in nine U.S. cities and subsidiaries in Canada, the United Kingdom, Korea, and Australia. Renaissance's solutions are used in one-third of U.S. schools and more than 90 countries around the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">STAR (software)</span> Educational assessment software

STAR Reading, STAR Early Literacy and STAR Math are standardized, computer-adaptive assessments created by Renaissance Learning, Inc., for use in K–12 education. Each is a "Tier 2" assessment of a skill (reading practice, math practice, and early literacy, respectively that can be used any number of times due to item-bank technology. These assessments fall somewhere between progress monitoring tools and high-stakes tests.

Guided reading is "small-group reading instruction designed to provide differentiated teaching that supports students in developing reading proficiency". The small group model allows students to be taught in a way that is intended to be more focused on their specific needs, accelerating their progress.

William S. Gray was an American educator and literacy advocate, who was commonly referred to as "The father of Reading".

Balanced literacy is a theory of teaching reading and writing the English language that arose in the 1990s and has a variety of interpretations. For some, balanced literacy strikes a balance between whole language and phonics and puts an end to the so called reading wars. Others say balanced literacy, in practice, usually means the whole language approach to reading.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Literacy in the United States</span>

Literacy in the United States was categorized by the National Center for Education Statistics into different literacy levels, with 92% of American adults having at least "Level 1" literacy in 2014. Nationally, over 20% of adult Americans have a literacy proficiency at or below Level 1. Adults in this range have difficulty using or understanding print materials. Those on the higher end of this category can perform simple tasks based on the information they read, but adults below Level 1 may only understand very basic vocabulary or be functionally illiterate. According to a 2020 report by Gallup based on data from the U.S. Department of Education, 54% of adults in the United States lack English literacy proficiency.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reading</span> Taking in the meaning of letters or symbols

Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of symbols, often specifically those of a written language, by means of sight or touch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Extensive reading</span> Reading longer, easier texts for extended periods of time

Extensive reading (ER) is the process of reading longer, easier texts for an extended period of time without a breakdown of comprehension, feeling overwhelmed, or the need to take breaks. It stands in contrast to intensive or academic reading, which is focused on a close reading of dense, shorter texts, typically not read for pleasure. Though used as a teaching strategy to promote second-language development, ER also applies to free voluntary reading and recreational reading both in and out of the classroom. ER is based on the assumption that we learn to read by reading.

A sighted child who is reading at a basic level should be able to understand common words and answer simple questions about the information presented. They should also have enough fluency to get through the material in a timely manner. Over the course of a child's education, these foundations are built on to teach higher levels of math, science, and comprehension skills. Children who are blind not only have the education disadvantage of not being able to see: they also miss out on the very fundamental parts of early and advanced education if not provided with the necessary tools.

The Lexile Framework for Reading is an educational tool that uses a measure called a Lexile to match readers with reading resources such as books and articles. Readers and texts are assigned a Lexile score, where lower scores reflect easier readability for texts and lower reading ability for readers. Lexile scores are assigned based on individual words and sentence length, rather than qualitative analysis of the content. Thus, Lexile scores do not reflect multiple levels of textual meaning or the maturity of the content. The United States Common Core State Standards recommend the use of alternative, qualitative methods to select books for grade 6 and above. In the U.S., Lexile measures are reported annually from reading programs and assessments. According to LightSail Education, about half of U.S. students in grades 3-12 receive a Lexile measure each year. The Georgia Department of Education provides resources for using Lexile measures.

Elfrieda "Freddy" Hiebert is an educational researcher whose work examines literacy, learning, early childhood development, teacher development, writing and children's literature. The main thrust of her work addresses literacy learning among at-risk youth in American classrooms. Currently, she is the CEO and president of TextProject, Inc., an agency that is dedicated to bringing beginning and struggling readers to high levels of literacy through a variety of strategies and tools, particularly through using science and social studies texts, used for reading instruction.

READ 180 is a reading intervention program created by the Scholastic Corporation (Scholastic). Its focus is to utilize adaptive technology to improve literacy in students in Grades 4–12 who read at least two years below their grade level.

Concept-Oriented Reading Instruction (CORI) was developed in 1993 by Dr. John T. Guthrie with a team of elementary teachers and graduate students. The project designed and implemented a framework of conceptually oriented reading instruction to improve students' amount and breadth of reading, intrinsic motivations for reading, and strategies of search and comprehension. The framework emphasized five phases of reading instruction in a content domain: observing and personalizing, searching and retrieving, comprehending and integrating, communicating to others, and interacting with peers to construct meaning. CORI instruction was contrasted to experience-based teaching and strategy instruction in terms of its support for motivational and cognitive development.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timothy Shanahan (educator)</span> American educator and researcher

Timothy Shanahan is an educator, researcher, and education policy-maker focused on literacy education. He is Distinguished Professor Emeritus in Education, at the University of Illinois at Chicago, College of Education, Department of Curriculum & Instruction, and he has held a visiting research appointment at Queens University, Belfast, Northern Ireland. He was elected president of the International Literacy Association in 2004. He operates the popular informational website, Shanahan on Literacy. He was recently recognized as one of the top 2% of scientists in the world, according to a recent study published by Stanford University scholars.

Innovations for Learning is a global nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the literacy of children attending under-resourced schools. It has stated it is grounded in the belief that learning to read is a basic civil right with the power to transform lives. Founded by Seth Weinberger in 1993, the philanthropically supported initiative has focused on beginning reading among the poorest children.

References

  1. ↑ "35 years of Accelerated Reader". renaissance.com. March 5, 2021. Retrieved 1 Sep 2024.
  2. ↑ Rosen, Peg. "What is Accelerated Reader?". Understood. Retrieved 2024-07-08.
  3. ↑ "Accelerated Reader Family Resource". Renaissance. Retrieved 2023-04-18.
  4. 1 2 "ATOS Readability". 2012-02-20. Archived from the original on 20 February 2012. Retrieved 2022-10-17.
  5. 1 2 "The Design of Accelerated Reader Assessments" (PDF). Renaissance Learning. 1 (1): 1–8. April 1999. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 January 2005 – via Wayback Archive.
  6. ↑ "Accelerated Reader 360 - Close reading practice | Renaissance". 2018-03-13. Archived from the original on 2018-03-13. Retrieved 2022-10-17.
  7. ↑ "Accelerated Reader Overview - Sample Reports". 2007-01-04. Archived from the original on 4 January 2007. Retrieved 2022-10-17.
  8. ↑ "WWC | Accelerated Reader". ies.ed.gov. Retrieved 2024-03-18.
  9. ↑ Ross, Steven M.; Nunnery, John; Goldfeder, Elizabeth (April 2004). "A Randomized Experiment on the Effects of Accelerated Reader/Reading Renaissance in an Urban School District: Final Evaluation Report" (PDF). Center for Research in Educational Policy, The University of Memphis.
  10. ↑ Nunnery, John A.; Ross, Steven M.; McDonald, Aaron (November 16, 2009). "A Randomized Experimental Evaluation of the Impact of Accelerated Reader/Reading Renaissance Implementation on Reading Achievement in Grades 3 to 6". Journal of Education for Students Placed at Risk (Website). 11: 1–18. doi:10.1207/s15327671espr1101_1. S2CID   73699446 . Retrieved 2022-10-17.
  11. 1 2 Holmes, C.T., & Brown, C.L. (2003). A Controlled Evaluation of a Total School Improvement Process, School Renaissance. Technical Report. Athens, GA: University of Georgia.
  12. ↑ "papers". 2005-04-19. Archived from the original on 19 April 2005. Retrieved 2022-10-17.
  13. ↑ Samuels, S. Jay; Wu, Yi-Chen. "The Effects of Immediate Feedback on Reading Achievement" (PDF). Department of Educational Psychology. 1 (1): 1–20. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 April 2006 – via Wayback Archive.
  14. ↑ Samuels & Wu (2004) Archived March 15, 2007, at the Wayback Machine research paper (PDF).
  15. ↑ Wu, Yi-Chen; Samuels, S. Jay. "How the Amount of Time Spent on Independent Reading Affects Reading Achievement: A Response to the National Reading Panel" (PDF). Department of Educational Psychology. 1 (1): 1–25. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 March 2007 – via Wayback Archive.
  16. ↑ "Learning Information Systems". 2005-09-15. Archived from the original on 15 September 2005. Retrieved 2022-10-17.
  17. ↑ "Reading Online - Formative Assessment of Reading Comprehension by Computer". 2005-02-09. Archived from the original on 9 February 2005. Retrieved 2022-10-17.
  18. ↑ "Handbook: Chpt 5, p.3". 2006-01-03. Archived from the original on 3 January 2006. Retrieved 2022-10-17.
  19. ↑ "The (Lack of ) Experimental Evidence Supporting the Use of Accelerated Reader". 2005-11-05. Archived from the original on 5 November 2005. Retrieved 2022-10-17.
  20. ↑ "Literacy Skills Quizzes" (PDF). 2012-09-05. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 September 2012. Retrieved 2022-10-17.
  21. ↑ Turner, Julianne; Paris, Scott G (May 1995). "How Literacy Tasks Influence Children's Motivation for Literacy". The Reading Teacher. 48 (8): 662–673. JSTOR   20201530.
  22. ↑ "Florida Center for Reading Research / Accelerated Reader" (PDF). 2006-02-10. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 February 2006. Retrieved 2022-10-17.
  23. ↑ "Kids and Family Reading Report Harry Potter: The Power of One Book". Scholastic. July 2006. Retrieved 2023-05-17.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.