Accelerated reader

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At Deer Park we use the Accelerated Reader Programme. Accelerated Reader is an effective teaching tool, designed to make reading and learning more exciting for children of all ages and abilities.

Put simply, a child reads a book at their level, takes an online quiz on it and gets immediate feedback. Parents will also be able to access online, details and levels of books, so that when you want to purchase a book for your child, you will be confident it is at the correct level for them. Research has shown that children using Accelerated Reader are motivated to achieve personalised reading targets, progress through book levels and read more books for pleasure, whilst our teachers are able to monitor reading development with in depth online reports.

Last year our amazing children at Deer Park achieved reading over 100 million words!

What is the ATOS Book level (ZPD range)?

Book level represents the difficulty of the text. Book levels are determined using the ATOS readability formula. For example, a book level of 4.5 means the text could likely be read independently by a typical fourth-year pupil in the fifth month of school. The content of the book, however, may or may not be appropriate. The interest level will give you a recommendation of the appropriateness of the content.
At Deer Park each class in Key Stage 2 takes a short test at the beginning of each term to help the teachers assess their up-to-date reading level. The recommended reading range for each pupil is communicated to them individually, as well as being shared with parents and carers.
What is the Interest level?The interest level attached to the book indicates age group appropriateness. Interest level is based on a book's content including theme, characterisation and plot. The interest levels are based on the recommendations of the publisher and/or literary book reviews by professional organisations. However, the final decision on whether the content of a book is appropriate for a particular child is left to parents, school librarians and teachers.
To help you choose the books most appropriate for your children, Accelerated Reader Quizzes are divided into four interest levels:

• LY (Lower Years, Ages 5–8)
• MY (Middle Years, Ages 9–13)
• MY+ (Middle Years Plus, Ages 12 and above)
• UY (Upper Years, Ages 14 and above)

How do I find books at the most appropriate reading level?

If you are considering buying a book for your child, or your child has books at home and would like to know if the book is at the right level based on their Accelerated Reader ZPD score, you can do this by doing a search of the following website to find a large number of book options offered to you that are highly appropriate for your child’s reading level.

1. Go to www.arbookfind.co.uk
2. Click ‘Parent’ and then submit
3. Type in my child’s ZPD Range and Interest Level and click ‘Search’

​What if my book doesn’t have a quiz?

If you have searched on the AR website and can’t find the book your child is reading, it might be because it hasn’t yet been catalogued by Renaissance who develop the Accelerated Reader programme. By following the link in the button below, you can submit a form to suggest AR quizzes for a particular book. Please do this, as it will also help other children who may be reading the same books.
As a school we can’t guarantee how quickly this will be done (or if Renaissance will be able to). We know it can be frustrating for children who have read a book that doesn’t have a quiz to count towards their word total. We try to encourage children to develop a love of reading and to understand that reading every book is an achievement, even if it doesn’t have a quiz.

Suggest AR quizzes

what is accelerated reader?

Accelerated Reader is a computer program that helps teachers and librarians manage and monitor children’s independent reading practice. Your child picks a book at his or her own level and reads it at his or her own pace. When finished, your child takes a short quiz on the computer. Passing the quiz is an indication that your child understood what was read.
Accelerated Reader gives children, teachers and librarians feedback based on the quiz results, which the teacher and librarian then use to help your child set targets and direct ongoing reading practice. Children using Accelerated Reader choose their own books to read, rather than having one assigned to them. This makes reading a much more enjoyable experience as they can choose books that are interesting to them.
Teachers and librarians help your child choose books at an appropriate readability level that are challenging without being frustrating, ensuring that your child can pass the quiz and experience success. If your child does not do well on the quiz, the teacher and librarian may help your child:

• Choose another book that is more appropriate.
• Ask more probing questions as your child reads and before your child takes a quiz.
• Pair your child with another pupil.
• Have the book read to your child.

In most cases, children really enjoy taking the quizzes. Since they are reading books at their reading and interest levels, they are likely to be successful. This is satisfying for most children. Best of all, they learn and grow at their own pace.

How do I take a book quiz online?

When children finish reading a book they take a short quiz using our school iPads. We’re delighted to let you know that pupils can now also take the quizzes at home by clicking the button below.
Children will need to enter their username and their password. The username is usually a combination of the first letter of their first name and their surname. If a child forgets their password, they can ask their class teacher to remind them.
Please ensure your child completes the quiz independently. Depending on the size of the book, this will usually be either 5, 10 or 20 questions. The questions are designed to help show an understanding of the book and we know how helpful the children at Deer Park have said this is to encourage them to read carefully.

Take an AR quiz online