“The more that you read, the more things you know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go!” – Dr Seuss.
Reading is important. Children are taught the skill of reading through guided reading as well as staff giving children the opportunity to read independently, to others and with an adult. We ensure that children have exposure to a broad range of authors through our ‘Explore an Author’ termly themes. For more information, please click here.
At Oaklands, in Key Stage 2, we use Accelerated Reader to support children’s independent reading to ensure books are closely matched to their ability.
What is Accelerated Reader?
Accelerated Reader (AR) is a computer program that helps teachers to manage and monitor children’s independent reading practice. Your child picks a book at his/her own level and reads it at his/her own pace. When finished, your child takes a short quiz on the computer – passing the quiz is an indication that your child has understood what has been read.
Adults may assist pupils in the following ways:
• Guiding them to books appropriate to their ability and interests
• Asking probing questions as your child reads and before quizzing
• Pairing your child with others, reading with or reading to your child
Since they are reading books at their own reading and interest levels, most children are likely to be successful and enjoy the books and quizzes. Best of all they learn and grow at their own pace.
How can I help my child become a better reader?
As with anything, performance improves with practise. According to Renaissance Learning’s research, children who read at least 20 minutes a day with a 90% comprehension rate on AR quizzes see the greatest gains. Encourage your child to read at home, discuss books, ask questions about what they have read and visit your local library.
What is a Star Reading test?
Star Reading is used to determine your child’s reading level. It is a computer based reading assessment program that uses computer-adaptive technology. Questions continually adjust to your child’s responses. If the child’s response is correct, the difficulty level is increased. If the child cannot answer a question or answers incorrectly, the difficulty level is reduced. The test uses multiple-choice questions and takes approximately 20 minutes to complete.
What is a Book Level?
Book Levels are reported using a readability formula and represent the difficulty of the text. The levels range from 0.5 – 13.5. Books are chosen based on the ZPD range recommended for each pupil by Star Reading.
Age Related Expectation (ARE) |
Range in Year 3 |
End of Year 3 |
Range in Year 4
|
End of Year 4 |
Range in Year 5
|
End of Year 5 |
Range in Year 6
|
End of Year 6 |
Reading Beyond… |
Home Reading Book |
3.0-3.5 |
3.5 |
3.6-4.0 |
4.1-4.5 |
4.5 |
4.6-5.0 |
5.1-5.5 |
5.5 |
5.6-6.0 |
6.1-6.5 |
6.5 |
>6.5 |
Targets and Rewards
At the start of each term, every child is given a personalised points target which is based on their reading level. Each book in our library is worth a number of points. When children have finished reading a book and score over 85% on a quiz, they are awarded points that go towards their individual target.
Each term we present Accelerated Reader Certificates. These are awarded to children who have worked diligently and consistently to reach their target.