Accelerated Reader is a computer and reading based program, that we offer here at St. Mary Catholic School. At the beginning of the school year, students take what's called a STAR reading test. This is a computer-based assessment. Once the test is assessed, the students are assigned a reading score called the ZPD (Zone of Proximal Development). For example, a score can be 1.2 through 3.8.

Once the STAR test is taken, the results are given to the child's language arts teacher and librarian. Typically, the teacher will start the student at the lower end of the ZPD. Once the student reads the book several times, he/she will take an AR Quiz on the computer. The quiz uses computer-adaptative technology, in that the questions continually adjust to the student's responses. If the student does well, he/she will be able to move up to the next AR level. If the student does not do well on the quiz, the student will be able to choose a different book, within the same level, with the guidance of the teacher and/or librarian.

According to research (link posted on the Accelerated Reader page), children who read at least 35 minutes per day, with a 90% comprehension rate (average percentage correct) on AR Quizzes, see the greatest gains. Please see your child's teacher, if you have any questions or concerns about the length of your student's reading time.

When your student reaches the point where he/she is reading a variety of materials, including fiction, non-fiction, biographies, the teacher will have your student take an AR Quiz. If the student performs well on the quiz, which usually means scoring at least an 80% correct, the teacher will move the student ahead a level.