This presentation will outline how Primary and Post Primary schools across Ireland are using Accelerated Reader to develop and strengthen a culture of reading. Accelerated Reader encourages reading for pleasure and is generally used with students who already have the basics of reading, from around 2nd class up to Junior Cert students.  The presentation will also show how AR can be used to establish baseline reading scores for students and how improvements in comprehension and fluency are tracked and measured.   The initial baseline reading assessment provides insights into students’ reading ability and this is used to help inform a student’s choice of book for independent reading.  It means students have more confidence in selecting books at the right level of challenge and appropriate interest level.  The students’ understanding of what they have read is ascertained by a short online quiz which they complete after reading each book.  The programme has an inbuilt reward system which can serve as motivation for reluctant readers.  The key reports provide a range of data relating to the reading habits of each student, including how many books they have read each term, the breakdown of fiction v non-fiction read and their average engaged daily reading time.

The presenter, Liam O’Hare, implemented and developed Accelerated Reader over many years in his own former school and will provide information and insight into the use of the programme. He will also answer any questions about the resource.