Joint School District
Joint School District. No. 2 Position Statement: Independent Reading
and the Use of Accelerated Reader and Lexile
The district defines effective, balanced reading instruction in the Continuum of Literacy Development for each grade from K-12. The key reading elements are phonological awareness, phonics, vocabulary, comprehension, literary analysis, strategies, fluency, and independent reading. The information that follows clarifies the role of Accelerated Reader and Lexile in the independent reading facet of a balanced reading program.
The purpose of independent reading is to encourage students to explore and read a variety of texts and genres. Self-selected reading gives students opportunities to define and explore academic areas, pursue areas of personal interest and develop a lifelong appreciation of reading while supporting our ultimate goal of providing students a literacy foundation to become independent adult learners.
Appropriate Use of Accelerated Reader and Lexile:
- Students should be allowed to select non-AR titles and non-Lexiled titles.
- Students should be allowed to select titles outside their AR range (ZPD) and Lexile range.
- *AR may be used as a supplementary reading program only.
- *AR may only be used to support sustained silent reading and independent reading.
- Lexile may be used to support leveled instruction, sustained silent reading and independent reading.
Inappropriate Use of Accelerated Reader and Lexile:
- Basing students’ reading grades on the AR book tests.
- Using AR/Star or Lexile level to restrict students’ independent reading choices.
- Sorting library collections by AR level or Lexile.
Grading:
- Assigning students’ reading grades based on the AR book tests is not an appropriate use, but using the program as part of the independent reading grade is acceptable. The independent reading grade should not exceed 20% of the total reading grade.
- AR should not replace effective, direct reading instruction or the language arts curriculum.
Funding/Resources:
- Purchase of library materials should be based on district selection policy 602.21 and not restricted to just AR titles and tests or Lexiled titles.
- All other funds must be exhausted before district funds are used to purchase AR tests for new schools, or used to purchase AR updates and/or tests for existing schools.
- Use of school personnel, including librarians and building techs, to support AR is not a priority.
- Schools choosing to purchase AR should keep in mind that there is an annual subscription cost associated with the program.
- Schools using AR will need to move to the Enterprise (on-line) Edition of AR by fall 2011.
Recommendations:
- Reading motivation programs should help students evolve from reading for extrinsic rewards to reading for intrinsic rewards.
- Students should be directly taught and allowed to experience that reading can be used to acquire information and for personal enjoyment.
- Teachers should model effective independent reading practices and guide students through the process.
- Because research shows that students are not receiving enough non-fiction reading experiences at the elementary level, students are not prepared for reading requirements at the secondary level. Therefore, purchases of Lexiled titles and AR titles and tests should balance non-fiction and fiction titles.
*The National Reading Panel’s Executive Summary states “The available data do suggest that independent silent reading is not an effective practice when used as the only type of reading instruction to develop fluency and other reading skills, particularly with students who have not yet developed critical alphabetic and word reading skills.”
Revised 2/22/2011