Renaissance (AR)

Renaissance (Accelerated Reader)

Accelerated Reader (AR) is a reading program designed to improve reading skills and foster a love for reading. It combines reading practice with comprehension quizzes to help students monitor their progress and set goals. Here is a summary of how Accelerated Reader works and its benefits for St. Albert the Great students.

Accelerated Reader begins with students choosing books at their appropriate reading level. These books can be fiction or non-fiction, covering a wide range of subjects and genres. The AR "universe" of books consists of more than 220,000 books and articles that have been evaluated by Renaissance for Interest Level, Book Level, and Reading Level. The Renaissance website contains the following explanation of how they evaluate texts:

Interest Level, Book Level, and Reading Level measure different things:

• Interest Level relates to content and age appropriateness - not the difficulty or readability of the text. Books and other reading materials are assigned an Interest Level based on publisher recommendations.

• Book Level measures the readability of the text of a book or other reading material. Accelerated Reader shows teachers and students both the ATOS book level and the Lexile®* measure for books.

• Reading Level relates to an individual student's reading comprehension ability. Reading level indicates the most difficult text a student can comprehend based on a standardized test (such as Star Reading) or results from Reading Practice Quizzes. For example, the Grade Equivalent (GE) score in Star Reading measures the highest level at which a student can comprehend short passages on a test. This is not the same level that a student should be expected to read consistently and for long periods (such as up to 60 minutes of daily reading practice). GE scores can be a useful way to estimate a range of book levels that are appropriate for a student.

Once a student finishes reading a book, they take a short quiz to assess their understanding of the content. The quiz questions are based on the book's content, encouraging students to engage with the material and think critically about what they have read.  Students may only take AR quizzes at school.  

Through the quizzes, students earn points based on their performance. The difficulty level of the quiz questions is adjusted to match the student's reading level, ensuring a challenging yet manageable experience. Students can track their progress through the points they earn, aiming to accumulate more points as they read more books.

Accelerated Reader also provides teachers with valuable data on students' reading progress. Teachers can access reports that show the books students have read, the scores they achieved on quizzes, and areas where they may need additional support. This information helps teachers tailor their instruction to meet each student's needs and provide guidance on book selection.

There are several benefits of using Accelerated Reader for elementary and middle school students. Firstly, it encourages independent reading by allowing students to choose books that interest them. This autonomy fosters a sense of ownership over their reading choices and promotes a love for reading. Additionally, the program helps improve reading comprehension skills by providing immediate feedback through quiz results. This feedback enables students to identify areas where they may need improvement and work on them.

Parents can check their student's AR goals by visiting the Renaissance login page: https://global-zone05.renaissance-go.com/welcomeportal/94259 and following the login instructions below.