November 13, 2014
The National Literacy Trust has published its second independent report into the reading habits of students using Accelerated Reader (AR). Part of a wider body of research into students’ attitudes towards reading conducted nationwide in 2013, the ‘Accelerated Reader and Young People’s Reading’ report studies the differences between students who use AR and those who do not. Survey responses of almost 30,000 students between the ages of eight and 16 were studied for the research.
The report found that students who use AR are more likely to:
- enjoy reading
- have a favourite book
- agree that reading is cool
- read regularly at least once a week outside class
- agree that they will get a better job when they grow up if they are good at reading
The research was conducted by Dr Christina Clark, and follows a similar study last year that revealed similar differences in reading habits between AR users and their peers. The latest research reveals that the differences are particularly noticeable for students in Key Stage 4. While nearly a third (32.6%) of KS4 pupils who do not use AR say that they had not read a book in the past month, only a fifth (20.8%) of KS4 pupils who use AR say this.
Commenting on the report, James Bell, Director of Professional Services, said: “encouraging a positive attitude towards reading is one of the most important steps in helping children to read, improve literacy, and ultimately academic achievement. Like the previous report, these findings confirm the fact that tools like AR help foster these positive feelings towards reading.
Download the full report by visiting renlearn.co.uk/nlt-report