It is a well-known fact that the more you read; the better you are at reading. It is because of this that Bamberg ES supplements its reading program with AR, otherwise known as Accelerated Reading. After taking a reading test, SRI and/or STAR, students learn what their reading zone is. This is a range that stretches between books that would be easy to read (recreational) and those that would be a challenge to read for a particular student. Teachers start their students reading within this range. The choice of book will depend on interest level and age appropriateness.

What to do with proficient upper-grade readers? There are fewer books to choose from with higher reading levels, which are age appropriate. For this reason, we use additional criteria for upper grade proficient readers: a variety of reading materials (non-fiction, poetry, historical fiction, plays, mysteries, diaries, etc.), challenging literature (Newbery award winners and books that are highly acclaimed for their plot and theme), and classics (The Yearling, Black Beauty, Little Women). “These students already read well – now they should also become well-read,” according to Renaissance Learning, the developer of the AR program.

If you want more information on AR, please make an appointment with your child’s teacher or come into the library, become a student for a moment and take an AR test.