In 1999, Howard analyzed the reading performances of children in third, fourth, and fifth grades over the course of one school year. During this period, the Accelerated Reading Program was implemented for the first time. The students were divided into three groups (high, medium, and low) based on the frequency with which they utilized the Accelerated Reader program. While the study does not clearly define the amount of time spent on the Accelerated Reader program by those in the low and medium group, the high group included any student who utilized the program for at least thirty minutes a day. At the beginning of the year, prior to the use of the Accelerated Reading program, seventeen percent of third grade students, nineteen percent of fourth grade students, and twenty-three percent of fifth grade students were reading at or above grade level. After a year of using the Accelerated Reader program, all of the students showed gains in their reading abilities; however, the degree of improvement was contingent on how often the Accelerated Reader program was employed. On average, the low frequency group gained 0.73 grade levels, the medium frequency group gained 1.52 grade levels, and the high frequency group gained an impressive 2.24 grade levels. This suggests that, to be truly effective, the Accelerated Reader program needs to be implemented approximately thirty minutes each day.
Studies by Holmes and Brown (2003, 2006) conducted a three-year longitudinal study on the implementation of the Accelerated Reading program at four Title I elementary schools. As part of the study, they followed a group of students through third, fourth, and fifth grade and examined their reading gains. Additionally, they assessed the teachers' responses to the program's implementation. Ultimately, they found that students attending the schools that fully implemented the program scored significantly higher than the students who attended the schools that did not. Additionally, they found that the improvements made by the students in third grade were consistent in fourth grade as well. Furthermore, throughout the study, teacher surveys indicated that...
The first study (Mallette et al., 2004) suggests that this program is particularly well suited for fourth grade students and can improve their academic reading confidence. The second study (Howard, 1999) further reinforces the idea that the Accelerated Reader program can significantly improve reading scores, particularly in struggling readers; however, in order to achieve these gains, the students need to use the program for at least thirty minutes each day. The final study (Holmes & Brown, 2003, 2006) demonstrates that this program can also be highly successful in low-income schools. Additionally, it reiterates the fact that, to reach its full potential, the Accelerated Reader program must be utilized on a regular basis according to the recommended guidelines.
References
Accelerated Reader. Retrieved April 4, 2010 from the Florida Center for Reading Research's official website: http://www.fcrr.org/FCRRReports/PDF/AcceleratedReader.pdf
Holmes, C.T., & Brown, C.L. (2003). A controlled evaluation of a total school improvement process, School Renaissance. Retrieved from ERIC database. (ED474261)
Holmes, C.T., Brown, C.L., & Algozzine, B. (2006). Promoting academic success for all students. Academic Exchange Quarterly, 10(3), 141 -- 147.
Howard, C. (1999). An Evaluation of the Accelerated Reader Program in Grades Three, Four,
and Five on Reading Vocabulary, Comprehension, and Attitude in an Urban Southeastern
School District in Virginia. Retrived from ERIC database. (ED465987).
Mallette, M., Henk, W., Melnick, S.A. (2004). The Influence of Accelerated Reader on the Affective Literacy Orientations of Intermediate Grade Students. Journal of Literacy
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