Accelerated Reader scheme

[Ottermum23]

Hi all,
Anyone's DC's school has this scheme?

[spanieleyes]

My school does.

[pinkhorse]

My ds' does.

[TheGirlOnTheLanding]

Ours too. What are your thoughts on it?

[PerspicaciaTick]

Yes, I'm a bit sceptical about it. It seems to foster competitive reading (who can read the most words, get the highest score) which is at odds with how I feel about reading. However, perhaps I tend to get a bit dewy-eyed about the pleasures of reading and the AR scheme might help with motivation? Not sure tho.

[winesolveseverything]

Mine use it. I hate it. I just want them to read, not bothered about ridiculous quizzes- half the time that don't get done as no opportunity to get on the computers. Feel it's a rather lazy way for teachers to assess reading as they can just have a quick scan of the results- how about they just hear them read regularly?
I've taken charge of their reading now and told both the child and the school that as long as I know the reading is getting done, then I'm not interested in a quiz score!! Bad mummy I know...

[Ottermum23]

I'm not really sure, to be honest.
Our DD loves to read, so no probs with that,however, is no communication from the school, apart from the score (%) or the actual point, where she is at. How quickly your DCs are sitting the quizzes, what's the turn around like?

[merlotmummy14]

I was on the accelerated reader program in Florida in 5th grade (10 years ago so thinks might have changed). A lot of the time you just read easy books as quick as you could to get points - if teacher is paying attention they will put a stop to it though. Definitely did encourage everybody to read including me -
don't know if they do rewards for number of points in UK but they have out coupons for every 50 points like 1 free taco from taco bell or 1 free small tub of ice cream. Nothing incentivises kids to read more than free junk food.

[SavoyCabbage]

At my DD's school, they have been told to do the 'quiz' no more than 24 hours after they finish a book.

[NastyCats]

I have two strong and able readers. Both had to do the scheme or are still doing it. Only certain books are included and a lot of newer books, non-fiction and 'adult ' books are not. My non-competitive dd was nonetheless a little disappointed to see other children consistently lauded for earning a lot of points while she fell behind despite reading more and 'better' in terms of the level and quality of books which is what it is meant to work on (I'm not bothered, I am just borrowing their term).
You have to do the quiz as soon as you finish a book. Despite what the school say there is not always opportunity for this in the school day. You can't do them at home.
Reading should not be a competition like this and schools should not essentially penalise children for not reading what amounts to purely the assigned books.

[Twooter]

My dc were quite lazy readers, yet competitive in other ways. It definitely encouraged them to read.

[eyeoresancerre]

Teacher here who has to use it - sucks the joy out of reading. Children can't read books outside their prescribed range so although one child wants to read Harry Potter I shouldn't allow it as it's a bit above his reading range! I allow it - I'll help with the tricky word and he'll get the storyline even if some words flummox him. It's so prescriptive and we don't have many books in school so children run out of books in their range within weeks.

[ChalkDoodler]

I helped our primary school when they introduced it.

I'll start with the negatives, on lower levels they're aren't many book choices and so if you don't get the required score on the test to move levels you can get stuck.

Positives, when children were "free reading" no-one is checking that they have in fact read the book or that they understand it. Lots of children can read but cannot understand the story. AR checks they have read it and can understand it.

It makes children choose books they might not have picked up giving them wider genres, vocabulary, themes, characters (rather than reading every Horrid Henry book ever written.) This allows children to realise what they like and don't like, and like school, sometimes you have to read books that don't set your world on fire.

At the primary they have a 30 minute slot every day for AR and have ipads to do the tests on. Scores are monitored in school. They read once a week to either the teacher or LSA (what used to be called a TA) and they are asked questions so for younger readers, why do you think this person is sad? for older reader can you find the fronted adverbial sentence?

There is no real emphasis on point scoring or "winning" just a positive promotion of reading. The more you read, the better your vocabulary and your literacy skills increase. HTH.

[Doobydoobeedoo]

Our school uses it.

I haven't seen signs of competitive behaviour so far. They have to do the quizzes after every book. They do the bigger test (a STAR test?) every half term or so.

Very few of the books have the points value on the cover, which I think probably helps to avoid situations where children choose books based on how many points they'll get.

DD has a higher level but her teacher is more than happy for her to read books from the lower levels if DD spots one that she might like. It's also quite rare for her to bring home a book where the themes are a little too 'old' for her.