Everything you want to know about AR!

AR is a program for 2nd - 5th grade students to earn rewards for books they have read.   It is an optional and supplemental enrichment program provided by our PTA aimed at improving student reading comprehension. This is how the AR program works:

1. A student selects a book on his/her independent reading level or grade level appropriate.
2. After reading the book, the student takes a reading comprehension quiz at school.   Each book has a point value based on its difficulty. Each quiz can only be taken once and the student must answer 80% -85% of the questions correctly to pass it and earn points.
3. The AR program records and tracks the points and allows students to earn prizes for those points as well as numbers of books read.

1. How do I know which books are AR at SSE?    With over 100,000 tests available to us now, we are labeling as many books in our media center that we can.  AR books will have yellow tape on the spine, and on the inside back cover of the book, there will be a label indicating the reading level and number of points that can be earned.  Just because a book doesn't have yellow tape doesn't mean there isn't an AR test for it.  Students can also look up the level either by checking Destiny Media Search or AR BookFind.  

2. How do I find out the points and reading level? There are two ways to look up point values and reading levels:  Destiny Media Search or AR BookFinder.  Destiny is our library catalog for St. Simons Elementary and AR BookFinder is a Renaissance Place feature.  If you use Destiny, you can search a specific point value or reading level to see what books we have available in the media center. 

3. Can I read the book to my child? Absolutely, parents can read the books with and to their child encouraging the students to read as they go along. The students will be developing a different set of skills when reading to themselves and when quizzing on books that were read to them. Both skills are important to their educational development.  As the child develops confidence they can start to read more to the parents and to themselves.
4. Can they open the book when they take the quiz? Open book quizzing is discouraged.  Teachers may at times allow students to reference the books on an as needed basis or when working on certain skills. But in general, the program is not intended for open book quizzing.
5. Can they take quizzes for books leveled at a higher grade level?  Students can take quizzes on books at any grade level.  It is important to make sure the books are at the child's current reading level so they do not get frustrated.  The higher the reading level of the book, the more difficult the comprehension questions will be. Also, it is important to know quizzes can only be taken once.  So if your 2nd grader takes a test on a 4th grade level book, they cannot repeat that quiz again in 4th grade.  To help find books on your child's level, use AR Book Find!  Click here to learn more.
6. Do my child's AR points and percentage affect their grade? AR is a PTA sponsored enrichment program and does not tie into your child's grades at SSE in any way.
7. What happens if they score a 60% or lower and do not receive points for the book?  If your child does not pass the test, consider helping him/her to find a book that may be easier to comprehend. Start with the simple books to build confidence in test taking and then work your way up from there.  To qualify for the goals and parties, students' overall testing average is to be 80% or higher.  If there is a pattern of excessive failed quizzes, we work with the student to determine if he/she needs additional assistance in selecting books at the appropriate level and also to determine if the student is truly reading the books before taking the quiz.
8. How can I find out my child's current AR standings?  Sign up for AR Home Connect!  Click here to learn more.

I have been a media specialist for over 17 years and I work with amazing men and women that share the same beliefs about the importance of reading in education.  AR is not the all-out, be-all, end-all for a child's level of success in reading, and too often, parents get wrapped up in the competition of the points program associated with AR.  This is partially why I changed the SSE AR program, but also because I wanted to give every child the opportunity to succeed in the program no matter their reading level or number of points earned.  

Children learn to read at all different paces and I found it somewhat disheartening to reward the same students month after month, year after year because of points.  I leveled the playing field so to speak -- to encourage those who thought they'd never have a chance to succeed in AR while at the same time continuing to motivate high achievers to reach for personal point goals, all the while establishing a love of reading for pure enjoyment in all. The focus of our AR program is to read on or above their level with overall 80% averages.  The expectation of our students in grades 2nd-5th is to read grade-level books and test on 25 per semester as the minimum.  Celebrating reading achievement makes our school culture stronger and happier.

If you have any questions about SSE's AR program, please don't hesitate to contact me.  [email protected]  912-638-2851 ext. 2309

The Georgia Standards of Excellence in Reading make clear a belief that students who read well independently throughout grades K-12 will succeed in college and careers. The standards specify an expected complexity level for students in each grade, across many states. SSE’s AR setup acknowledges those levels. However, students with special learning needs will receive accommodations.