Yr7 & Yr8 Accelerated Reader - lesson  feedback for Parents/Carers. 

It is important that reading is encouraged both at school and home. Renaissance Home Connect is fun and easy to use and students can quiz from their home computer. They get immediate feedback and are motivated to make progress with their reading skills. 

If you would like to receive emails showing your child’s quiz or test results you can go to this link, using your child’s username and password.

It is wonderful to see how many people are already using this facility and hopefully rewarding our students for their successful quizzing. 

Mrs Kelly
LRC Manager

Accelerated Reader is a highly successful customised reading programme, designed to help develop and improve students’ literacy levels and to encourage our students to have a lifelong love of reading, regardless of aptitude and ability.

Walthamstow School for Girls has invested in the Accelerated Reader scheme for students in Years 7 and 8.

Students complete a reading assessment and are given their reading range, which is also known as a ZPD (Zone of Proximal Development).  This acts as a guide for students to select books appropriate to their reading level.  Students in Years 7 and 8 have an Accelerated Reader lesson every fortnight to support their development of reading and comprehension.

Significant improvement

Accelerated Reader produces “particularly positive effects” according to an independent study by the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) and Durham University.

“The internet-based programme increased the reading age of pupils by three additional months in just 22 weeks. The effect on low-income pupils was even greater, with their reading age improving by five additional months in the same amount of time.”

Students are able to borrow books from the school’s well-resourced LRC, run by our librarian, Ms Kelly.  We also encourage students to swap books and borrow books from their local library.

It is recommended that students read for a minimum of half an hour every day – including at the weekends and during school holidays.  This is important if students are to continue to develop their literacy levels.  There are over 19,000 book titles on the Accelerated Reader programme.  Students can look for books here. 

Parents can log on to the AR website to see how their child is progressing by clicking on to the Home Connect icon.

Appropriate challenge

Pupils develop reading skills most effectively when they read appropriately challenging books – difficult enough to keep them engaged but not so difficult that they become frustrated. This is their ‘Zone of Proximal Development’ (ZPD)

Accelerated Reader Student App

Accelerated Reader quizzes can be taken on computers, laptops, tablets, and through the Accelerated Reader Student App for Apple iOS® devices.

Accelerated Reader BookFinder

The dedicated online book-searching tool Accelerated Reader BookFinder is publicly available to students, parents, teachers and librarians so they can identify appropriate books that are also of interest.

Positive attitudes

The National Literacy Trust’s second independent research report into the reading habits of students using Accelerated Reader was published earlier this year.

“Children and young people who use Accelerated Reader tend to enjoy reading more, do it more often and think more positively about reading than their peers who do not use Accelerated Reader. They are also more likely to see a link between reading and their successes.”

Dr Christina Clark, National Literacy Trust

Year 7 & Year 8 Accelerated Reader Lessons in the LRC

Students have a fortnightly AR lesson where we monitor their independent reading and support their literacy levels.   They take a test four times during the year and are encouraged to take a quiz after reading a book. Results are used to look at their understanding of the book and to suggest further reading.

A parent's guide to Renaissance Accelerated Reader 360 can be found here.

Did you know that there are over 38,000 quizzes on Accelerated Reader? That’s a lot of books to choose from! Here are some recent favourite AR titles.

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Noughts & Crosses: The Graphic Novel Adaption by Malorie Blackman BL: 3.1 | Quiz # 230299 | Doubleday

In Sephy and Callum’s hostile world, Noughts and Crosses do not mix. But when their childhood friendship matures into passionate love, they are determined to find a way to be together.

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Little Badman and the Invasion of the Killer Aunties by Humza Arshad and Henry White BL: 4.3 | Quiz #238039 | Puffin

When aspiring rapper Humza Khan’s teachers begin to go missing, he soon realises some suspicious aunties are taking their place. [Contains profanities.]

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Now or Never: A Dunkirk Story by Bali Rai BL: 5.0 | Quiz # 237769 | Scholastic Children’s Books

Private Fazal Khan is proud to be supporting the British in WW2. As events in France take a turn for the worse, the frightening retreat to Dunkirk becomes nothing compared to the betrayal he and his comrades face at the point of rescue. [Contains violence.]

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The Boxer by Nikesh Shukla BL: 4.0 | Quiz # 236599 | Hodder Children’s Books

Sunny’s life changes the night he is attacked by racists in his new city. Stepping into a boxing gym, he finds the community he’s desperately been seeking. But racial tensions are rising and he begins questioning where his new friends stand.

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Home Girl by Alex Wheatle BL: 4.0 | Quiz # 237567 | Atom

Naomi is a teenager growing up in the care system. When she’s placed with a loving West Indian family, her social worker tells her it’s only temporary. But Naomi is haunted by her dark past and struggles to stay out of trouble. [Contains strong language.]

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“I Will Not Be Erased”: Our Stories About Growing Up as People of Colour by gal-dem writers Non-fiction | BL: 6.9 | 236484 |

Walker Books Gal-dem, the award winning online and print magazine, is created by women and non-binary people of colour. In this collection, gal-dem writers share their joyous, funny and life-affirming stories about growing up. [Contains drug use.]

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Chinglish: An Almost Entirely True Story by Sue Cheung BL: 5.4 | Quiz # 237846 | Andersen Press

It’s 1984, and Jo Kwan’s family have just moved to Coventry. Can Jo achieve her dreams while dealing with annoying siblings, racism, bullies and drama? [Contains racist slurs, scenes of violence and abuse.]

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A Change is Gonna Come by various authors BL: 5.1 | Quiz # 233433| Stripes

This anthology of stories and poetry are from BAME writers on the theme of change. Contributors include Tanya Byrne, Inua Ellams, Catherine Johnson, Patrice Lawrence, Ayisha Malik, Irfan Master, Musa Okwonga and Nikesh Shukla.

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Kick the Moon by Muhammad Khan BL: 5.0 | Quiz # 238037 | Macmillan Children’s Books

Ilyas wants to create comic-book heroes, but instead he’s got GCSEs, troublemaker mates and work in his dad’s shop. Then he finds a kindred spirit in Kelly, but when she’s caught up in a toxic bet Ilyas must decide what kind of hero he wants to be.

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Rose, Interrupted by Patrice Lawrence BL: 4.4 | Quiz # 237275 | Hodder Children’s Books

Rose and her brother have recently escaped a strict religious sect. Now they must learn how to handle the rules of their new life.

GREAT NEWS FOR THE SUMMER!

AR students will now be able to quiz over the summer months.

Quizzes are now available until 31^st August, so students will be able to keep tracking their reading progress during the school holidays.

Keep Safe and Keep Reading!

Mrs Kelly
LRC Manager

 

To log on to Accelerated Reader from home you need to follow this link

Please ensure that the link at the top of your computer screen is showing "ukhosted56".   Some of our computers at school revert to "ukhosted46" or other numbers, so try to check that the link is showing 56. 

You can log on via Google Chrome, or if your computer is blocking the site, try via Internet Explorer.

If a student is having problems logging on, please contact me by e-mail

I hope you and your families are all well.

Mrs Kelly
LRC

1 Million

Hannah H, Abrish, Zara F, Sophia M, Hira,  Billie, Husna T

2 Million

Laiba H, Imogen, Myla V

3 Million

Haniya F, Manahel, Evie  Sky

5 Million 

Faith

Well done everyone for reaching your Million Words milestones during lockdown.

Mrs Kelly
LRC Manager