Accelerated Reader is a computer software program designed to assess reading comprehension and reward students for reading success.  After selecting and reading an Accelerated Reader book,  students take an AR quiz on a school computer.  

Accelerated Reader (AR) encourages students to read at a level known as their ZPD (Zone of Proximal Development) which “suggests the readability-level range from which a student should be selecting books for optimal growth in reading without frustration.”  Each student’s ZPD is determined by the STAR Test which is a standardized test given three times a year.    Students usually begin at the lower level of their ZPD and work their way up their zone.

Research obviously indicates that the more we read the more our reading skills improve.  Our writing, vocabulary, and thinking skills also improve.  This success carries over into other classes and into numerous aspects of our lives.  Reading can also be one of the most enjoyable forms of entertainment that we can embrace for the rest of our lives.