We are pleased to be championing the Accelerated Reader programme for years 7 â 9 here at Lammas School, and our well stocked library has thousands of fiction and non-fiction books to choose from.
Accelerated Reader (AR) is a computer programme that helps to manage and monitor studentsâ independent reading practice. Your child picks a book at their own level and reads it at their own pace. When finished, your child takes a short quiz on the computer – passing the quiz is an indication that your child has understood what has been read and developed their ability to read accurately for meaning
Teachers help facilitate the programme for students by:
- Guiding them to books appropriate to their ability and interests
- Asking probing questions as your child reads and before quizzing
- Pairing your child with others, reading with or reading to your child.
Since they are reading books at their own reading and interest levels, students are successful and enjoy the books and quizzes. There are lots of rewards, for example Word Millionaires, and best of all they learn to read for pleasure.
How can families support their child with reading?
As with anything, performance improves with practice. Experience shows that children who read at least 20 minutes a day with a 90% comprehension rate on AR quizzes see the greatest gains. Encourage your child to read at home, discuss books, ask questions about what they have read and visit your local library.
The AR Home Connect function allows you to see your childâs progress and to engage with what they have been reading, for example via their virtual bookshelf:
Information on how to access Home Connect will be available soon. In the meantime, here are some titles to look out for in your local library:
The Storm Runner by JC Cervantes
An engrossing and fast-paced debut fantasy story set in a world based on Mayan mythology. When Zane explores a dormant volcano instead of going to school, he finds a gateway to another world â a world of evil, danger and an imprisoned god. This is a real page-turner with a thrilling finale. Ideal for reluctant readers aged 12+ in KS3.
The Human Body: A Pop-Up Guide to Anatomy by Richard Walker
A cracking pop-up book with a twist. Not just a visual spectacle, this book hand-holds the reader through a Victorian-era dissection under the careful instruction of Dr Walker, who guides and comments on every lift-up flap and 3D vital organ. The characterisation and storyline really add to the experience, and this book is bound to appeal to children aged 9-12 who are interested in science, history and medicine.
The Light between Worlds by Laura E Weymouth
A stunning and atmospheric young adult novel about sisters Evelyn and Philippa who return home after spending six years in a fantasy land living in a forest with trappings of myth and magic. Postwar Britain is unfamiliar and not at all what they expected. How will they adjust? Ideal for children in KS3.
Planetarium by Raman Prinja
Jaw-dropping illustrations and pithy facts pepper this stunning science book. Ideal for a child interested in all things cosmic.
What Momma Left Me by Renee Watson
An authentic coming-of-age book for young adults in which a grieving teenager tries to heal her heart.
RenĂ©e Watsonâs remarkable novel is a wise and nourishing story rooted in themes of resilience, healing and love.
Football School: Season 2
Soccer School is back in session and ready to defend its goal: to explain the world through soccer. Coaches Alex Bellos and Ben Lyttleton return with even more proof that soccer can be used to teach kids about pretty much anything.
