AR Refresher
Have you been using AR to its full capacity?
Steps to Success
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Individualize
Monitor
Use data to take action
Quality first
Make success obvious
Accelerated Reader
Software:
• Renaissance Place
(Includes STAR READING Assessment; STAR
EARLY LITERACY (new!) Assessment;
ACCELERATED READER and VOCABULARY)
Allows you to measure and monitor your
students’ reading AND VOCABULARY practice
STAR Reading
• Computer-based assessment of a student’s
overall reading ability
• Norm- and criterion-referenced
• Identifies individual reading ranges
• Measures growth
STAR Early Literacy
• Computer-based assessment for students who
are not yet reading independently
• Criterion-referenced
• Measures growth in 41 early literacy skills
• Helps you tailor instruction
• Can be administered monthly
Best Practices
Teaching strategies that maximize the power of
Accelerated Reader and lead to reading growth
for every student
Getting Started
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Understand Accelerated Reader, STAR
Reading, and STAR Early Literacy
• Find the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)
for each student
• Schedule time for daily reading practice:
– Read To
– Read With
– Read Independently
Monitoring
• Students complete the Student Reading Log
daily
• Teachers:
– Take Status of the Class daily
– Check the TOPS Report immediately after
each student quiz
– Review the Diagnostic Report weekly to
determine the level of student and class
implementation
Intervention and Enrichment
• Intervene promptly with struggling readers to
ensure successful reading
• Set individual student reading goals
• Create a system of motivators to encourage
students to reach their goals
Understanding AR, STAR, and SEL
• Accelerated Reader
– Student reads a book, takes a quiz on the computer,
and reports immediately print to indicate the level of
success. Also includes Vocabulary and Literacy
Tests.
• STAR Reading
– Student takes a test on the computer and reports
immediately indicate the reading level
• STAR Early Literacy
– Computer reads a test to the student and reports
immediately indicate pre-reading skills—those
mastered and those that need to be mastered
Find and Use the ZPD
• ZPD = Zone of Proximal Development
– Book level range appropriate for the student’s
reading ability
• Use STAR Reading to identify each student’s
ZPD
• Then examine the following to assist students in
book choice for their ZPD:
– AR book level (readability)
– Interest level (grade appropriateness)
– Point value (length and difficulty)/ Word Count
(use ARBOOKFIND.COM)
Schedule Time for Reading Practice
• Daily monitored in-class reading time
• Students read their AR books as teacher guides
the reading:
– Read To
– Read With
– Read Independently
• 20, 30, 60 minutes per day
• Goals based on in-class reading time
Students Complete Reading Logs
• Each independent reader records daily the AR
book she is reading:
– Level
– Points
– Fiction/nonfiction
– Pages read
– Quiz score
• Teacher initials daily and writes comments as
needed
Monitor with Status of the Class
Brief, daily, one-on-one conferences with
students concerning their reading
During Status of the Class:
• Review reading log
• Check understanding of current book
• Detect, diagnose, and solve problems
Check TOPS Report Immediately
• TOPS Report indicates a student’s results on
the quiz and results for the marking period
and for the year
• First opportunity for intervention and
recommendation
• Essential for student success
• Examine after each quiz to determine student
progress
Review Diagnostic Report Weekly
• Diagnostic Report shows performance of
every student in a class
• Examine weekly for students at risk and
classroom totals
• Highlights students that need immediate
intervention
– See them immediately during Status of the
Class
Guide Students to Success
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Goal: average 85% correct or higher on Reading
Practice Quizzes
– Demonstrates comprehension of books read
– Leads to reading growth
– 100% correct is powerful
• Intervene if student scores less than 80% on a
quiz or averages below 85%
Set Goals with Each Student
• Setting goals encourages self-directed learning:
– Average percent correct (85% or higher)
– Points (based on reading level and length of practice)
– Book level (based on STAR scores)
• Use Goal-Setting Chart as a guideline
• Record goals in the computer and on the Student
Reading Plan
• Accelerated Reader keeps track of students’
progress toward goals
Keep Students Motivated
• Offer praise and encouragement
• Demonstrate your enthusiasm for reading
• Help ensure success—it’s the greatest
motivator
• Celebrate achievement
• Celebrate each goal met (i.e.100%; first book
read; mixture of author’s/genre’s/ fiction-non
fiction, etc)
Remember the Steps to Success
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Individualize (goal setting)
Monitor (TOPS/Status of the class)
Use data to take action (Diagnostic Report)
Quality first (average 85% and above)
Make success obvious (motivate)