Reading is an incredibly important skill that all students must master to be successful in school. Students should be reading at home nightly for approximately 30 minutes each day. They can read anything they like, as long as it is material on their reading level .
One way that I ensure that all children are reading, and understanding, books is through a program called Accelerated Reader (AR). This program is a website that tests students’ comprehension on books they have recently completed. By passing these tests, students show that they have successfully completed the book.
I have assigned each student a book level range from which they should be reading. I assigned the range based on the individual student’s reading ability. All books read should be
from within this range and I will adjust it based on each student’s growth throughout the year.
Your child should be reading an AR book most nights and you should expect your child to take at least one AR test each week unless they are reading an exceptionally long book.
Students will always be checking AR books out from the Kozy Library, but these are not the only ones with AR tests. On our classroom website I have a link to “AR Book Finder.” You can use this site to verify the reading level of any book, as well as to see if a personal book, or a library book, has an AR test.
I have also assigned each student a point goal I want them to achieve by the end of the quarter. Shorter books are worth less points than longer ones, but, if they are at the appropriate reading level, shorter books are just as valuable as the longer ones. The point goals are assigned based upon your child’s reading ability and will also be adjusted as the year progresses. I set these goals to challenge the students and they will be difficult to reach for many in our classroom. To reach their goal, students will need to read at least 20-30 minutes each night and then pass their tests. If a student reads a book, but does not pass the test, he or she will not earn credit for the test. I record each student’s progress daily and students falling behind will remain inside for recess to catch up on reading.
This quarter, the goals are rather low because we have just started using AR. Next quarter, much more will be expected of the class.
Parents have the ability to track their child's AR progress online. Using AR Home Connect, you can view your child's scores on tests as well as their progress towards his or her goals. This wonderful tool will allow you to closely monitor your child's success.
To get to this site, please visit www.3grade.ws. From this site, click on “AR Home Connect” from the “For Parents” section at the right side of the screen. The login information is the same as what your child uses at school. Please use this tool to encourage your child to stay on top of their reading.
AR Home Connect also allows you to receive emails showing your child’s quiz results. To enable this option, click the Email Setup link in AR Home Connect and follow the directions. To be sure these emails reach your inbox, add homeconnectautodelivery@renlearnrp.com to your address book.
If you have any questions about Accelerated Reader, please contact me.
Thank you for your help in encouraging your child to read.
