Comments on: The 18 Reasons Not to Use Accelerated Reader

By: Christine Rinehart

Christine Rinehart — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 15:38:05 +0000

I wonder if there is any educational tool that cannot be used either for good or for evil? I, too, have seen AR used in the most demeaning and hurtful ways- both for kids who loved to read and those who hated it. But it can also be done well. The problem is not the AR program itself but in its implementation. I am just at the start of implementing it into my 3rd district. In the first I was a high school classroom teacher so had complete control of the program. Next I was the LMS in the 4-6th and 9-12 grade buildings of my district. Less control over the high school policies led to implementation there with which I was not pleased. But in the 4-6th building implementation was voluntary, individualized, and within 3 years I had won over the students, the skeptics, and even the teachers providing special education services. It is true, NO child should be made to feel bad about participating. It should not be one more thing a student cannot be successful at, one more treat or party missed, one more way to “let down” the rest of the class.

A pencil can be used to create beautiful literature but it can also be used to poke someone in the eye. The trick is to not allow ANY of the tools (no such thing as a perfect “fix”) be used to poke someone in the eye.

By: Mark Pennington

Mark Pennington — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 03:12:31 +0000

This one breaks my heart. As a reading specialist I cringe at how this will affect her lifelong attitudes about reading. As a parent, I question the judgment and compassion of your child’s teachers and the culture/messages they have established at your child’s school. So sorry.

By: Kjay

Kjay — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 16:34:03 +0000

I agree with much of this article but for different reasons. My daughter has a reading disability (she is in third grade) so meeting the AR criteria takes alot of effort, she plays catch-up sometimes at the end of the month, missing recess, so she can meet her requirements. We spend at least 20 minutes a night on reading (which is not alot, but this is after she has spent over an hour doing the other homework she has) plus she has been pulled out of class to read during the day and she is so tired of reading by the time we get to it. She had to miss out on enjoying an ice-cream social earlier this year. She got to go but was only allowed one topping because she was behind in her AR reading when other kids got lots of toppings. Plus today she is missing a pizza party that they are giving to children who know their times table, she has been working on these now, but this is after she got caught up on her AR reading. I know reading is important, but a child should not be made to feel bad because she has a reading disability and this program does that. Also, my daughter said she would like to use a new bookmark she got, I told her she would have to wait until we could read a book that we didnt have to finish in one night and take a test the next day. She cannot even enjoy reading it has to all revolve around AR.

By: Laura

Laura — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 00:46:57 +0000

I do not believe I missed the point of your article. I just disagree with your reasons. I believe the benefits of the AR program far outweigh the drawbacks. It would be great if every kid had parents or anyone that would spend 20-30 minutes reading with and discussing books the child is reading each night, along with their other homework, but a good portion of students do not and will not ever receive this. The AR program provides simplified help for both children who have the support and those that do not. Children with supportive parents can easily use the AR program, although actually it won’t matter very much for those children what independent reading program chosen, they’ll be successful because they already have the key to independent reading…adults that are home and will promote it at home on their own. Sadly, it is “good old-fashioned” reading….and our society has and is moving further away from this kind of home life. The AR reading program has made itself good money because it has developed a system that if used as designed (and not misused) helps monitor, promote, and reward independent reading. I don’t believe their is anything wrong with making money with a good idea. @Mark Pennington

By: Mark Pennington

Mark Pennington — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 00:28:24 +0000

Laura,

I think you miss the point. It’s not that independent reading is not valued; it’s how we go about encouraging this practice that is important. AR is not the only motivational method to encourage independent reading, nor is it the best program for accountability or sustained reading growth. Its drawbacks outweigh its benefits.
Nor do we have to go back to book reports, dioramas, or the like (an either-or fallacy, by the way).
Good old-fashioned reading at a 5% unknown word recognition level for 20-30 minutes per night and discuss with parents (younger kids) or social media/book clubs (older kids) provides all the accountability and comprehension/vocabulary development we need. Oh… and it promotes internal monitoring of text and critical thinking. And just maybe a lifelong love of reading for reading’s sake.

By: Laura

Laura — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 22:42:32 +0000

I agree with the comment that these reasons are based on incidents where the system has been misused. I am a classroom teacher of second graders and also a mother of five children who are all avid readers. I have seen way more positive results with AR than the few negative results that come from misuse of the system by some. As cited, an AR test can be made for any book. In our district if there are books that need a test, we have several people designated to make them. The only limit on AR books is the program not being fully utilized. My experience with the AR program is that it gives students the incentive to read more and it helps teachers be able to monitor whether reading goes on beyond their classroom. The bottom line is that if we want to get better at anything, we’ve got to practice. The more students read, the better they become at reading. I’ve witnessed it over and over and over. If they aren’t reading outside the classroom, they seldom progress at reading very well. I have witnessed parents of students struggling with reading get on board with AR reading and watched by year’s end those below grade level students come up to grade level by being able to read and be rewarded for books they like to read. I grew up having to do book reports on just about everything I read outside of class some years. I would have much rather taken a little comprehension test and build up points I’m rewarded for!

By: Holly

Holly — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 20:27:20 +0000

Dear Parents,
Please be aware that this company does not alway have appropriate books on their list. My advanced reading 7th grader came home with an adult teen level book that is not appropriate for any CHILD in school!!! The F word is on nearly every page at least once if not twice, extreme sexual content, and racism! I have asked this company to take the book off of their list and they have said they are not responsible for books listed for quizes! The passed the responsibility on to the parents, teacher, and librarians…none of which have time to read every book given to a child. The part that concerns me is that I have now brought up this issue twice to this company via different formats and nothing has been done. The name of the book is Hairstyles of the Damned…the author writes for Playboy. AR is about MONEY not your CHILDREN!

By: Sandy

Sandy — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 20:10:01 +0000

AR quizzes often seem to test trivial points and details from stories, rather than events and information that are important to plot-development and main ideas.

By: David

David — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 03:29:04 +0000

The fact that my 5th grade daughter ostensibly can’t read Sounder, Johnny Tremain or To Kill a Mockingbird because it is “below her AR level” is reason enough for me to think this whole enterprise is crap.

The obvious foolishness behind the AR program is the quest for some objective measure of student performance. “It’s such a drag to evaluate student writing, so why don’t we just have them take goofy 10 question tests on a 300 page book”….Since we are devolving into brain-dead morons with few skills other than our ability to count things, this seems like par for the course.

The elementary school teachers of my childhood (the 80s) would be appalled. Educators need to challenge the status quo and call BS and pointless educational bureaucracy that is unquestionably bad for kids.

Remember, everything we do in this life has to be for the “love of the Game”.

By: Marci

Marci — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 16:15:59 +0000

I am a classroom teacher who is going to become the elementary librarian next year. I, too, have seen the adverse effects AR has had on readers, and it really bothers me. Our school wants to continue the AR program, so I was wondering if anyone out there runs it through the library? Or as a supplemental incentive program? As the librarian I want to support the classroom teachers as much as possible, and thought to run AR through the library and take some weight off the classroom teachers. I also thought about having students still take the STAR reading test to determine reading level to help guide them, but not totally limit them. (I think the five-finger test is a good way for them to see if a book is too difficult.) Tentatively, students would be required to read a certain amount of books and AR books would still be available for check out, but not be the only required reading. Then students could earn points on a goal that they help set and “spend” the points at the AR store at the end of the six weeks or accumulate points for a bigger prize. I’d like to see students also do a book report on one book of their choosing every six weeks. Am I crazy? SOme feedback would be appreciated.