Why Accelerated Reader should be in every classroom

  I have two kids that did not take off in reading until 2nd grade. Yes, they both knew how to decode and "read." But they didn't posses the joy or know how of sitting down with their favorite book and reading away. 

This picture is my son at the library reading a Froggy book to a real parakeet on a leash. It was a highlight of his week and he struggled through that book. The parakeet owner sat for about 20 minutes and listened kindly to my son get through that book. The program was at our local library called Reading to Furry Friends.

He was going into 2nd grade and boy was I nervous. The first day of school he came home and was embarrassed that he tested into AR at 1.6.  I reassured him that he was OK and that he shouldn't get discouraged but keep plugging along.

Well the class had an AR chart and goals and all that and my beginner reader figured out how to read as many little books as he could and pull out his IPAD from his desk and test away. He was determined to stay at the top of the class with the most points even though his reading level was at the bottom. 

I was impressed with his enthusiasm  and determination. About 3 weeks into school his teacher had him try A Magic Treehouse chapter book and boy was that magical! He entered into the world of chapter books and can not stop! My son who probably read 3 books the whole summer reads like crazy! Only 4 months into 2nd grade and he has read and tested on 78 books!

Why I like Accelerated Reader:

Teachers, Parents and kids know exactly where they stand when it comes to their reading comprehension. Typically it is a program that helps the student make goals and complete them. In my son's situation he figured out how to be competitive towards the class. It definitely worked for him.

Whenever my son or daughter takes a test I am emailed the results. I love getting those emails and having a peak into his life at school. 

If you pay for a private school make sure you get one with AR.

If the school  you go to does not have AR start talking to the administration on why your school needs it. I was previously a 3rd grade teacher and it is such a benefit to the teacher, parent, and student. 

We were on a family vacation a few weekend ago and my son wanted a new chapter book at Target directly across from the toy section. At that moment I felt like I was in Mom Heaven all my dreams for my son succeeding were starting to come true. Now the book was Diary of a Whimpy Kid...which could turn him into a smart aleck but hey we will deal with that later. He loves to read!!!!!