Accelerated Reader

Tips and Tricks

As middle schoolers, you are becoming more independent learners. Accelerated Reader is a project that students work on throughout the marking period. It is up to you to pace yourself and use your time wisely. Here are a few tips and tricks to make sure you earning your AR points a little easier and more stress-free!

• Start early! (When asked to give advice to younger students, this is the most common piece of advice graduating 8th graders have left for younger students. Just because it's "due" at the end of the marking period, doesn't mean you shouldn't start right away! Students who earn their AR points early report being less stressed at the end of the marking period.)

• Choose books that interest you! (The most amazing thing about Accelerated Reader is that you choose what books you want to read as a part of your grade! Enjoy fantasy? Prefer nonfiction? Want to challenge yourself to read a new series? You can pick books that interest you instead of having the teacher choose everything you read. With more independence comes more choices!)

• Use SSR time wisely (NMS students have 15 minutes of silent reading time built into their schedules every day! That's over an hour of reading time each week built right into your schedule! Use it wisely.)

• Read at home (Students are expected to read on their own time. Reading strictly in school will likely not be enough time to read enough to earn all of your AR points.)

• Not sure what to read? Ask a teacher, librarian, or a friend for a recommendation! (Sometimes students have a hard time finding books they like. The good news is there are many people at NMS who love to share their favorite books! Instead of wandering around the library looking for something that might spark your interest, try asking someone for a recommendation.)

• Snow days are great for getting in a little extra reading time! ( Snow in the forecast? If the winter weather looks foul, make sure to bring your AR book home.)

• There are different strategies to earning points. (Students may choose to read one large book all throughout the marking period, two or three medium-length books, or several smaller-point book.  You might choose to tackle a large book or read many shorter book. As long as you earn all of your points, all of these "strategies" satisfies the AR requirements. Audiobooks are also a great option!)