Accelerated Reader
Accelerated Reader Instructions
Accelerated Reader at Bradley Stoke Community School
BSCS is proud to be an Accelerated Reader (AR) School. All Year 7, 8 and 9 students are enrolled on the program. We believe that with our commitment to the scheme and your support at home we will see vast improvements in our students’ reading and academic achievement.
Why do we want students to read?
- Regular reading improves comprehension (the ability to read text, process it and understand its meaning), concentration, broadens vocabulary and boosts academic success.
- Reading becomes faster and more fluent.
- Research shows that children who read for pleasure are likely to do significantly better at school than their peers.
- It can have a positive impact on students’ emotional and social behaviour.
- Imagination is stimulated.
- ‘Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body’ Joseph Addison.
What is Accelerated Reader?
Accelerated Reader is a really effective software tool used to monitor reading. It enables students of all abilities to improve their reading and comprehension skills by guiding them to books at an appropriate level for them.
Students take a STAR test to establish their STAR reading level. Students then read books within this level – AR fiction books are organised by reading level in the Accelerated Reader corner of the LRC. Students take a quiz on the website after reading each book to assess how well they understood it. AR gives both children and teachers feedback based on the quiz results which the teacher then uses to help the child set targets and ongoing reading practice. Their STAR level is tested every 2 x terms to see how well they have progressed.
The more a child reads, the more quizzes they pass leading to a sense of success and achievement.
How does my child access AR?
When in school, students access AR via the Bradley Stoke Community School Portal homepage. From home, students can access the school’s Accelerated Reader website via
https://ukhosted17.renlearn.co.uk/2231587/
Students have been given their login details.
How much will my child read during the school day?
Renaissance Learning’s research has revealed that children who read for more than 20 minutes a day with a 90% comprehension rate on AR quizzes see the greatest gains. Our students will therefore have one tutor session a week dedicated to reading, every English lesson will start with 15 minutes of reading, and students will DEAR (Drop Everything And Read) for 15 minutes at the start of period 5 each day. The students will also continue to have their hour-long reading lesson once a fortnight in the LRC.
What is Home Connect?
Renaissance Home Connect provides parents with a snapshot of their child’s reading progress, including the books read, the average percentage correct on quizzes, number of points earned and results in the last quiz. You can also access an online search tool, AR BookFinder, to search for books on the scheme.
Frequently asked questions?
Can I read my own books from home?
Yes, but it is important to read at the right level. You can use the Bookfinder website to check if the book is on the scheme. Make a record of the quiz number and complete the quiz once the book has been read.
When should I bring in my reading book?
The expectation is for all students to have a reading book with them at all times. There will be sanctions for those who regularly forget their book.
Can I take quizzes on books at home?
Yes. Quizzes can be taken at home, but the Star Reader reading test can only be taken in school in the AR library lessons.
Useful websites
https://ukhosted17.renlearn.co.uk/2231587/
https://Ukhosted66.renlearn.co.uk/2231587/HomeConnect
Normed Reference Standardised Score
The maximum value for a NRSS is 150
This compares each child nationally with the same date of birth
A score of 100 = Average so in line with age expectations (“Average range is 95-102”)
A score of below 85 = Working below age expectations
A score of 115 or above = Exceeding age expectations
Percentile Rank (scored out of 100, 50 is the middle)
This compares each child nationally with other children of the same age
The maximum value for a PR is 99
e.g. A child that has a PR of 85 is in the top 15% nationally.
Percentile Rank Range
This is a confidence range based on the child’s PR
For example a child with a PR of 64 might have a PR Range of 56 – 74 giving them scope for under-performing days and exceptional performance days. (allowing for illness etc.)
N C L Reading
This is the old National Curriculum level that they would have been working at. PLEASE NOTE National Curriculum levels are NO longer used by schools in England for assessment. Renaissance Learning recognise this and this feature will be omitted in the future.
Reading Age
For example a reading age of 9:03 means a reading age of 9 years and 3 months.
You need to take into account the date of your child’s Star Reading Test to work out what their chronological age would have been at the time of testing as a comparison.
Estimated Oral Reading Fluency
The estimated number of words your child is reading a minute.
Scaled Scoring
This is your child’s raw score based on the Star Reading Test they took.
The more difficult the questions they answered the higher the scaled score.
The Scaled Score is a good progress measure to look at for your child and compare from test to test.
The maximum scaled score that can be achieved is 1,400 which would normally be achieved at the end of secondary school. To put this into perspective average scaled scores are listed below for the end of each academic year as a rough guide:
Year 1 – 176
Year 2 – 227
Year 3 – 291
Year 4 – 370
Year 5 – 463
Year 6 – 574
Year 7 - 615
Year 8 - 650
Year 9 - 710
Zone of Proximal Development
The book level range for the children to select books from at school.
