Accelerated Reader Program
Dear St. George Parents,
The Accelerated Reader program begins in 1st grade and was designed by Renaissance to encourage independent reading for students and to help teachers and librarians manage and monitor student’s reading progress. Our goal for using Accelerated Reader at St. George is to increase the amount of time children spend reading which hopefully results in a love for reading and an increase in reading skills.
The first step of the Accelerated Reader program is to determine each student’s individual reading level and goal. This is done by administering the STAR reading assessment. Students then work toward their individualized goal by reading books within their ZPD (Zone of Proximal Development) that is set by AR from their STAR reading test. Students take Accelerated Reader tests on the books they read and earn points toward their individual goal. The student’s progress is managed and monitored by the teacher which allows the teacher to encourage students to progress at their own level and pace.
For a more detailed description of the Accelerated Reader program and how you can support your child, please go to Parents Guide to Accelerated Reader.
AR is not counted for a grade in 2nd-5th grade, however, 6th-8th graders will receive a reading grade for points earned toward their goal. Information about this was included in the Middle School Expectations handed out during Parent Orientation or you can contact your child’s reading teacher.
Rewards are given to students who exceed their quarterly AR goals. Students who double the quarterly goal set by AR will receive a reward. The rewards are as follows:
Quarter 1: Popsicle
Quarter 2: Ice cream
Quarter 3: Icee
Quarter 4: Box of candy
Mrs. Taylor, our school librarian, also awards students at the end of the year for their cumulative AR points according to the list below.
Bronze Medal- 250 cumulative AR points
Silver Medal- 400 cumulative AR points
Gold Medal- 600 cumulative AR points
Platinum Medal- 1,000 cumulative AR points
Oak Trophy- 1,500 cumulative AR points
Knight Plaque- 2,000 cumulative AR points
Dragon Plaque- 3,000 and above cumulative AR points
To support our students and encourage a love for reading, our staff implements independent reading time into their classes. They have attended professional development provided by Renaissance and participate in professional dialogue so that our students can benefit from this researched based program. We hope you will join us and encourage reading time at home for your child. The link mentioned above is a wonderful resource for all your AR questions and will be posted on the school website.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Fontenot
Revised 9-26-22