One of the many challenges parents and teachers face, is instilling a love of books in a child. The student must first learn to read independently and fluently. For more than 30 years the Accelerated Reading program has been encouraging young people to find joy in the written word, as well as providing adults a way to understand the best way to assist them on their journey.
In 1984, this program was developed by a mother who was trying to find a way to encourage her children to not only read more, but to do it with increased proficiency. She came up with a method involving short quizzes that test a child's comprehension of what they have read. The results also provided a way for parents and teachers to understand in what area a particular student required more assistance.
The main concept in this program revolves around children choosing books that are on their particular competency level, to read independently. Once they have completed the book, they take a short quiz on the computer, of around 10 questions, that will assess their comprehension. The results are compiled into a simple report to show the areas in which each student is having problems.
New quizzes are added to the database on a regular basis, though there are currently more than a 180,000 on hand. The range of titles span all school ages from kindergarten through High School, with a wide genre variety and subject matter, nonfiction and fiction. There are also tests that go along with different types of publications, such as magazines or textbooks.
Determining a child's reading level starts with a computerized test that last about 10 minutes, and assesses their skills interactively. Depending on how they respond to each question, the difficulty level will adjust automatically to determine the point at which their comprehension and fluidity are optimal, the zone of proximal development (ZPD). Periodic reassessment can determine whether the student is improving.
The program tries to offer quizzes for books that are most likely to be found in school libraries, that receive favorable reviews, are by popular authors, are part of trending series, award winners, and recommendations from parents and teachers. Each one is given a ranking based upon its difficulty level and the number of words it contains. While not every title is included on the recommendation list, there is a conversion scale to help find a ranking.
While the program itself does not offer any particular incentives, many teachers, libraries, and parents, have developed their own systems of rewards. Studies show that when children work toward a goal, they tend to be excited about the task and perform it more diligently. Through this, they practice their skills, honing them as they go, to become more proficient readers while learning to enjoy certain genres or subjects, and choosing to read on their own just for pleasure.
Using the AR program gets kids enthusiastic about learning to read with better comprehension. The quizzes are beneficial to assessing which areas require special attention. The effort to earn points incites them to put in the effort to work towards their goal, whether for an incentive, or just to satisfy their curiosity or ambition, resulting in them becoming more proficient readers.
In 1984, this program was developed by a mother who was trying to find a way to encourage her children to not only read more, but to do it with increased proficiency. She came up with a method involving short quizzes that test a child's comprehension of what they have read. The results also provided a way for parents and teachers to understand in what area a particular student required more assistance.
The main concept in this program revolves around children choosing books that are on their particular competency level, to read independently. Once they have completed the book, they take a short quiz on the computer, of around 10 questions, that will assess their comprehension. The results are compiled into a simple report to show the areas in which each student is having problems.
New quizzes are added to the database on a regular basis, though there are currently more than a 180,000 on hand. The range of titles span all school ages from kindergarten through High School, with a wide genre variety and subject matter, nonfiction and fiction. There are also tests that go along with different types of publications, such as magazines or textbooks.
Determining a child's reading level starts with a computerized test that last about 10 minutes, and assesses their skills interactively. Depending on how they respond to each question, the difficulty level will adjust automatically to determine the point at which their comprehension and fluidity are optimal, the zone of proximal development (ZPD). Periodic reassessment can determine whether the student is improving.
The program tries to offer quizzes for books that are most likely to be found in school libraries, that receive favorable reviews, are by popular authors, are part of trending series, award winners, and recommendations from parents and teachers. Each one is given a ranking based upon its difficulty level and the number of words it contains. While not every title is included on the recommendation list, there is a conversion scale to help find a ranking.
While the program itself does not offer any particular incentives, many teachers, libraries, and parents, have developed their own systems of rewards. Studies show that when children work toward a goal, they tend to be excited about the task and perform it more diligently. Through this, they practice their skills, honing them as they go, to become more proficient readers while learning to enjoy certain genres or subjects, and choosing to read on their own just for pleasure.
Using the AR program gets kids enthusiastic about learning to read with better comprehension. The quizzes are beneficial to assessing which areas require special attention. The effort to earn points incites them to put in the effort to work towards their goal, whether for an incentive, or just to satisfy their curiosity or ambition, resulting in them becoming more proficient readers.
About the Author:
If you are interested in accelerated reading, the best thing to do is visit the Web and enter the keywords in a search engine. Alternatively, you may go directly to this website at http://www.speedreadingworld.com.
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