Accelerated Reader at WRMS

Kidbooks The Wood River Middle School Library has a large selection of book titles and accompanying tests that your student can use in our AR program. Each book is "testable" on any of our school's networked computers. Please refer to the WRMS LIBRARY CATALOG and go to the WRMS AR Book Guide to check for titles. Also, check out RENAISSANCE PLACE (only available on the school network).

Accelerated Reader ® is a reading program designed to be used with customary school instruction in reading. It uses technology, incentives, and individualized instruction based on heavy in-school reading practice and immediate feedback. The goals are:

To create substantial growth in student reading ability.
To help students become more independent as readers and learners.
To contribute to problem-solving, thinking, and critical learning skills.
To make reading fun and help students develop a lasting love of reading.

The AR® program uses well-researched teaching principles as well as the well-tested classroom practices of hundreds of educators. The AR® approach increases the amount of school time devoted to important reading activities that include individual and group reading, individual reading counseling, along with modeling and one-on-one coaching techniques. As students read, teachers have more time to give students individual attention.

Accelerated Reader implementation is straightforward:

Students take a quick assessment test that accurately determines their Grade Equivalent reading level and a zone of reading in which the student can read with optimal comprehension. We call it the "comfort zone."
A student chooses a book in that comfort zone from a comprehensive list of over 6350 titles available in the WRMS library.
After reading the book, the student takes a computerized quiz containing multiple choice questions on incidents from the book to test complete understanding. Questions are usually "who, what, when, where, and why"

The computer program awards points based on the length and difficulty of the book, as well as number of correct responses, which can then be used for reading motivation and as a source of data on how well the student is reading at a given time. Most teachers also use these points as a portion of the reading grade as well.

Because students are reading more, their reading ability improves and they are challenged to read books of increasing length and difficulty, as well as explore a variety of reading materials that they now can understand with greater proficiency.

The program depends on a large amount of time during the school day being devoted to independent reading. Students still receive instruction in reading and literature skills, as well as other language arts development. The difference is that students spend more time now reading and responding to self-selected reading at appropriate levels than they are doing worksheets and using a reading/literature textbook. Students are also expected to read at home for 20 to 30 minutes daily.

Benefits include:

Improved reading performance as measured in standardized state-wide tests as well as program assessment tests.
Improved critical thinking and reasoning.
Independent learners and readers.
Students who love to read.