“Renaissance solutions are having a significant impact on children’s desire and ability to read!”

Vision Multi Academy Trust - Sunny Bank Primary School and Higher Lane Primary School, Bury

We spoke to James Gabrielides, Interim Headteacher at Sunny Bank Primary School, who has been using Accelerated Reader and Star Reading for several years in several different schools. James chats to us about the difference that both Accelerated Reader and Star Reading are having on the reading development of pupils.

Talking Points: Assessment, Celebration, Data, Data Review, Independent Reading, Library Use, Motivation, Professional Development, Progress Monitoring, Reading At Home, Reading Culture, Reading for Pleasure, Staff Engagement, Staff Workload, Student Engagement, Target Setting, Whole-School Literacy

Using Focus Skills to ensure understanding and mastery

Ellis Guilford Comprehensive School, Nottingham

I want to make use of the data more for teachers and I’m hoping, in time, our teachers will have a better grasp of Accelerated Reader and Star Reading. I think the Star Reading programme will be invaluable for our teachers because once you know whether pupils are growing or not, you can now group them and use the instructional planning report to see what individual skills each pupil has mastered and what they are yet to master, still. Therefore, if teachers begin to regularly work with their individual groups more often then they will be able to offer more appropriate intervention, subsequently allowing them to share this vital data with other teachers.

Talking Points: Assessment, Celebration, Data, Data Review, EAL, Incentives, Independent Reading, Intervention, Library Use, Motivation, Progress, Progress Monitoring, Reading Culture, Reading for Pleasure, Staff Engagement, Staff Workload, Student Engagement, Target Setting

A noticeable new reading culture

Dunstone Primary School, Plymouth

We spoke to Teaching Assistant (TA), Sally Geary, who has been with the school for twelve years. Sally was only recently appointed the primary contact for Accelerated Reader since January 2019. With the help of a team of dedicated TAs, Sally oversees the daily maintenance and effective administration of the Accelerated Reader and Star Reading programmes. The team have one goal, to help nurture a love of reading for all pupils. 

Talking Points: Assessment, Celebration, Data, Data Review, Incentives, Intervention, Library Use, Motivation, Parents, Progress, Progress Monitoring, Pupil Progress, Reading Age, Reading At Home, Reading Culture, Reading for Pleasure, SATs, Student Engagement, Target Setting, Whole-School Literacy

The Galaxy School, India – myON by Renaissance Experience

The Galaxy School, India, Rajkot, Gujarat, India.

Talking Points: Independent Reading, Motivation, Progress Monitoring, Reading Culture, Reading for Pleasure, Target Setting

Part 1: Going beyond AR with Star

River Beach Primary, Littlehampton, West Sussex, England

Joe Neale, English Subject Leader at River Beach Primary School talks about how Accelerated Reader has made a real impact on pupil progression in his school, and also shares the start of his journey on delving deeper into Star Reading and key findings he is making along the way.

Talking Points: Assessment, Attainment, Growth, Progress Monitoring, Target Setting, Whole-School Literacy, ZPD

Encouraging all kinds of readers at a boarding school in Scotland

Belhaven Hill School, Dunbar, East Lothian

Belhaven Hill School is one of the only full boarding and day prep schools in Scotland. The school was recognised at the 2016 Renaissance Awards as one of the top performing schools in Scotland - Amanda Parks, Librarian, shares how the school have used Accelerated Reader to encourage reading across the school.

Talking Points: Boys, Incentives, Reading for Pleasure, Target Setting, Whole-School Literacy

Boosting reading enthusiasm in East Lothian

Loretto RC Primary School, Musselburgh, East Lothian

After recognition as the top performing primary school in Scotland at the 2016 Renaissance Awards, Kate O Regan, Principal Teacher, shares why Loretto RC Primary's Accelerated Reader implementation has been so successful.

Talking Points: Incentives, Motivation, Parents, Target Setting

Establishing a reading culture using literacy data

Faughanvale Primary School, Faughanvale, County Londonderry

Faughanvale Primary School have seen huge improvement in reading engagement, and are using literacy data to inform their school planning in a range of creative ways.

Talking Points: Intervention, Motivation, Non-Fiction, Reading Culture, Reading for Pleasure, Target Setting

Achieving one hour of daily engaged reading time in Northwest London

Copthall School, Mill Hill, London

Students at Copthall School in London are achieving almost an hour of daily engaged reading time, following the school's usage of Accelerated Reader to implement reading interventions, incentives and targets.

Talking Points: Engaged Reading Time, Incentives, Intervention, Student Engagement, Target Setting