Ronald J. Kitsko, Principal

October 2012

Dear Center Grange Parents and Guardians,

Accelerated Reader (AR) is a computerized reading assessment program that allows students to read at their own speed and level. The goal of the AR incentive program is to motivate the students to read, comprehend, and learn. Used properly, Accelerated Reader can be a great tool to help students become stronger and more successful independent readers.

Students begin the program by taking a STAR reading test. This computer-based assessment tool helps determine each student’s individual reading level. Based on the student’s answers, it adjusts to the student’s level to determine an approximate reading range. All students in 1st and 2nd grades completed this assessment in September and will take the STAR test again in January and May. Reading ranges are grouped by a color-coded system. We have seven colors that represent each reading level – Pink, Dark green, Red, Blue, Yellow, Purple, and Light green. When the students read books in the recommended color coded reading range, it helps provide teachers an easy and effective way to monitor reading practice and ensure success for every student.

After reading a book, a student may take an AR quiz for that book. Upon completing a quiz, the AR program immediately reports the results of the test to the student. If there are questions that were answered incorrectly, the program gives the student an option to look at those questions again with the correct answer(s). Students earn points based on their accuracy rate for correctly answered questions. The teachers generate summary reports to send home with the student each a month. The web-based AR system has over 119,000 quizzes available for students. For help determining the reading level of books, use the website www.arbookfind.com.

In addition to this letter, students have received an Accelerated Reader incentive program flyer and an informational letter about the AR Home Connect web based portal. Parents can access the Home Connect portal at https://hosted249.renlearn.com/24022/HomeConnect by utilizing his/her student’s AR UserID and password. The “official” start date for all AR incentive point totals is Thursday, October 4, 2012. If you have questions about the AR program, please speak with your child’s homeroom teacher, the school library staff, or with me.

Sincerely,

Ronald J. Kitsko

______225 Center Grange Road | Aliquippa, PA 15001 | t: 724-775-8201 | f: 724-774-3970 | www.centralvalleysd.org