Do pupils who use Accelerated Reader (AR) think differently about reading, do they enjoy reading more and do they do it more often than pupils who do not use AR?
This independent study first utilises data from the National Literacy Trust’s 2014 annual literacy survey in which more than 32,000 children aged 8 to 18 participated – contextualised by recourse to findings made in 2012 and 2013. The second source uses data from a longitudinal study set up by the NLT in 2011, which followed 1,500 pupils in Year 3 through to them reaching Year 6 in 2014.
Report Authors: Dr Christina Clark, National Literacy Trust and Anna Cunningham, Coventry University
These data confirm previous findings and show that significantly more pupils who use Accelerated Reader:
- enjoy reading
- have a favourite book
- agree that reading is cool
- read regularly outside class
- think positively about reading
Boys who use Accelerated Reader are more likely to:
- enjoy reading
- agree that reading is cool
- read more actual books in a typical month
Girls who use Accelerated Reader are more likely to:
- enjoy reading
- see themselves as readers
- read outside class at least once a week
The importance of reading for enjoyment
“Both cross-sectional and longitudinal data sets unanimously show that more pupils who use AR enjoy reading, read frequently and think more positively about reading than their peers who do not use AR. Children and young people who use AR are also more likely to see themselves as readers, are more likely to have a favourite book or story and are more likely to read more books outside class than their peers who do not use AR.”
“This report has also been a first step in exploring the complex relationships that underpin the interplay between reading enjoyment, attitudes, behaviour and attainment in KS2 children who use or do not use AR. To our knowledge, this is the first time that the inter-relationships between the variables often studied in other research have been examined longitudinally (over time).”
“The finding that reading enjoyment is the only variable in this complex interplay of variables that has a strong bi-directional influence, regardless of gender and whether children use AR or not, not only highlights the importance of reading enjoyment as a variable that matters, but also underlines the need to develop effective methods to encourage children and young people to read for enjoyment.”
About the National Literacy Trust
The NLT is a national charity dedicated to raising literacy levels in the UK. Its research and analysis make it the leading authority on literacy. It runs projects in the poorest communities, campaigns to make literacy a priority for politicians and parents, and support schools.
Visit literacytrust.org.uk to find out more.
Reading Enjoyment, Behaviour and Attitudes in Pupils who use Accelerated Reader
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