Accelerated reader programme- parents view?

[BabyMommaDec2012]

Hi - my DS is in year 1 is on the accelerated reader programme at his school due to his academic strength in reading. Possibly because he’s only in year 1, he seems to get his computer quizzes quite sporadically (he reads at least 4 school books a week but only gets a computer test on 1 of them every fortnight or so). He was put on a lower reading level (up to 2.6) than his reading ability because his baseline accelerated reader test matched him to a lower comprehension level to his actual reading level (2.8+).

At home he shows a good level of comprehension and says that he finds the quizzes to be easy. Is there any way for parents to view the results of the computer quizzes to see how their children are doing with the comprehension questions?

[BabyMommaDec2012]

Bump...

[user789653241]

If you type in accelerated reading programme for search within MN, bunch of thread comes up. I don't think it's very rated.

[CatkinToadflax]

I wonder if the school is using the programme incorrectly? My DS has been on it since Year 1 (now in Y6) and started on a very similar level to your DS, and I’m sure he did quizzes for every single book. I think the whole point of it is that the child is supposed to do a quiz every time they finish a book to assess their true comprehension, whilst reading from a much broader range of books than ORT etc. I would ask the school how exactly they are using it as well as how they feel your DS is getting on with it. Personally we have preferred it as a reading scheme to the relentless Biff, Chip & Kipper that both my DSs got lumbered with at their previous school!

[pinkhorse]

Everyone in my ds' school were on it from year 1. He's now year 4. They have always had a test after every book.

[BabyMommaDec2012]

Thanks Catkin and Pinkhorse. In my DS’s school, the accelerated reader programme starts from year 2. Only a handful of the year 1 kids have been ‘bumped’ up to it.

I’ve suspected that they haven’t been applying the computer quizzes properly for my son. From reading around it’s the convention that kids don’t get their books changed tilll they’ve done a quiz. I’ll bring it up with the teacher on Monday. My DS’s case is a bit complex as he’s advanced with his reading ability for his age (goes to year 2 classes for English/phonics) but he has difficulties with focusing/concentrating at school which can lead to behavioural issues. As a result, it sometimes feels as though his education is overshadowed by his behavioural issues and that there are gaps in the standard teaching that he’s supposed to be receiving...

[Smurf123]

With accelerated reading the child should be doing a quiz on every book they read. The teachers will be able to log in and print reports for the child - their current level, quiz scores, books read etc.
Level will be based on their comprehension and it is possible that your son may have a very good reading ability but may not have the same level of comprehension right now or it could also be that he isn't taking the time to answer the questions properly in the computer quizzes, especially if you say he can have some difficulties with concentration but his teacher should be able to tell this from the ar reports.
I would say though he definitely needs to be doing a quiz on each book he reads for the programme to work properly. (Or that is my own opinion as a teacher who used it in the past)

[modgepodge]

Yes, jr should be a quiz per book (I teach in a school that uses it). I’d imagine the logistics of getting a y1 to take quizzes that regularly are tricky and that’s why he’s not doing one for every book he reads. I teach y6 - when they finish a book they go grab an iPad, log in, do the quiz, return the iPad - done. Our y1s have much more structured sessions to do this as they’re obviously not so independent. If only a handful of kids are doing it in his class perhaps it’s tricky to organise.

Regarding comprehension, it’s not just simple questions eg ‘what colour is the bike Jim gets?’ But would include inference questions, vocab questions and so on. Often children can do literal comprehension questions (which are easy to think of while reading with your child, and easy for kids to answer) but find inference, authors intent and so on harder. This may be why he is working at a lower level than you expect based on what you see at home. (Apologies if you know all that, but we have had many parents question why their kids are levelled and given books which seem easy for them to read and it usually comes down to this).

Worth asking the teacher I’d say 🙂

[Satina]

DD1 was started on AR at the beginning of Y1.
She had tests after every book and the school provided us with log in details to enable us to access her account and view her scores.

[BabyMommaDec2012]

Thanks everyone. I had a chat with my sons recher on Monday and she said that the TAs should have been assigning the tests before changing his books. He’s had a few mix up with his reading books this week but we’ve managed 1 test sofas. Hopefully he’ll get the next one tomorrow!

I’ll ask about the log-in Satina - thanks for letting me know!

[BabyMommaDec2012]

Sofa should say ‘so far’!