A New Dimension

A software program that helps manage reading practice, monitor daily progress and plan instruction.

What is Accelerated ReaderWhat is Accelerated Reader?

1Step One: Choose A Step One: Choose A

BookBook

Fiction Non-Fiction

2Step Two: Read a Step Two: Read a

BookBook

3Step Three: Take a Step Three: Take a

TestTest

Web-based Accelerated Reader Program

What Is Renaissance What Is Renaissance PlacePlace??

Build strong, confident, enthusiastic readers

Create a culture of reading across your school.

Increase library circulation.

Why Use Best Practices?

Principals Teachers Librarians Coordinators

Create an AR Team

Team RolesTeam RolesPrincipal

Lead, build consensus, facilitate

TeachersAct as primary student

contact

Librarians

Librarians build school-wide culture of literacy,

customer service, pushing books, and PR.

1. Getting Started (Steps 1-3)2. Establishing Routines and Monitoring

Progress (Steps 4-7)3. Diagnosing Problems, Setting Goals,

and Motivating Students (Steps 8-10)

Accelerated Reader Ten Best Classroom

Practices

Getting Started

1. Understand Accelerated Reader and STAR Reading Assessments.

2. Administer the STAR Reading Assessment to find the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD).

3. Schedule Time for Reading Practice.

Establishing Routines &Monitoring Progress

4. Use the Student Reading Log.5. Take Status of the Class

daily.6. Check the TOPS Report

immediately.7. Review the Diagnostic

Report Weekly.

Diagnosing Problems, Setting Goals,

and Motivating Students8. Intervene promptly to ensure

successful reading9. Set students reading goals10.Create a System of

Motivators

• Motivation• Daily Monitoring & Guidance• Time for Guided Reading Practice• Immediate Feedback

What Happens in an What Happens in an AR Classroom?AR Classroom?

What Happens in an What Happens in an AR Library?AR Library?

•Support reading practice and student goals

•Provide easy access to books•Acquire books to match ZPD interests, and instructional needs•Assess collection and respond to needs

Have you been using AR to its full

capacity?

Teaching strategies that maximize the power of Accelerated

Reader - lead to reading growth for every student.

What are Best Practices?What are Best Practices?

Understand Accelerated Reader

• ZPD•ATOS•Reading Logs•Status of Class•Points•Percent of Goal•TOPS

Common AR TermsCommon AR Terms

Understand STAR Reading Assessments

•Computer-based assessment of a student’s overall reading ability•Norm and criterion referenced•Identifies individual reading ranges•Measures growth•Administered a few times a year

• Provides a grade-equivalent (GE) reading level and identifies a “ZPD”

• Gives you a starting point• Each test takes about 10 minutes• Provide a quiet, nondisruptive test

environment (try computer lab)

Key Reports Diagnostic—gives a student’s test

results Reading Range—suggests a reading

range (ZPD) for each student ( good for teacher)

STAR Growth—shows progress for a group of students over time

Multiple-choice questions• 20-25 in-context vocabulary items• 5 text passages for grades 3-up• Question difficulty based on previous

answers (computer-adaptive)

•Computer-based assessment for students not yet reading independently•Criterion referenced•Measures growth in 41 early-literacy skills•Helps tailor instruction•Can be administered monthly

STAR ReadingSTAR Reading• Two or three times in a school year

STAR Early LiteracySTAR Early Literacy• At least three to five times this school

year• Can administer monthly

• Quiz Scores• Points earned• Book levels