Teachers are always trying to find ways to get students to read, not just in class but on their own. A common incentive used at the elementary level is Accelerated Reader, which became a fun competition for the sixth graders each year.
“Accelerated Reader (most teachers call it AR) is a school reading program designed to help students practice and improve their reading comprehension. Students read books that match their reading level and then take short quizzes to check their understanding,” sixth grade teacher Trent Jacobs said. “The program also helps teachers monitor student progress and make sure students are choosing books that are not too easy and not too difficult.”
In 2017, both sixth grade classrooms made AR more competitive by creating a leaderboard for students who earned more than 100 AR points throughout the year. These points are scored with quizzes that typically earn 10 to 20 points per book.
“I wanted to recognize students in a positive way for reading a lot during the school year. I display the leaderboard in my classroom and really hype it up, which motivates students to compete and work toward earning more points,” Jacobs said.
Because this competition has been happening for nine years, the students in grades 7-12 remember that it helped motivate them to continue reading.
“AR gave me more of a drive to read because it made reading more competitive,” said eighth grader Emma Long, who is third on the leaderboard with 431.6 AR points.
Not only did it motivate students who didn’t read a lot before sixth grade, but it also motivated students who consistently read before they were introduced to AR.
“I was really competitive, and I really wanted to be at the top of the leaderboard. Reading was kind of what I was known for, and I liked that it pushed me and gave me goals,” said eighth grader Kate Hoellen, who is first on the leaderboard with 1,126.1 points.
Students who started reading more because of AR also noticed that their grades were improving.
“I didn’t read a lot before sixth grade, and I think reading helped me get smarter because I wasn’t really smart in fifth grade,” said eighth grader Ella Eikmeier, who is second on the leaderboard with 480.8 AR points.
After a few years, students at the top of the leaderboard still feel proud of their accomplishment.
“It feels rewarding to be recognized for the effort I’ve put into reading and knowing that other kids get to see my name up there,” Long said.
While the competition started good habits, it becomes harder to find that time now that the students are busier and it’s not tracked.
“I still read, but I probably don’t read as much now because it doesn’t really matter if we read or if we don’t read because it’s not required,” Eikmeier said. “But I read a ton more now than I did in fifth grade.”
Although students find it hard to make time to read, they still think it is beneficial.
“Usually, when you read, you see new words, which expand your vocabulary and help you gain more information about
the topic that you’re reading about,” Eikmeier said.
Hoellen agrees that there are many benefits that come from reading.
“You learn a lot about a lot of different things, which is a really vague statement, but you learn about humans and how they act and relationships and dynamics between people in the world around you,” Hoellen said.
Overall, Jacobs hopes these benefits of reading encourage students to continue reading long after the competition is over.
“The ultimate goal of Accelerated Reading for me is to help students become lifelong readers who genuinely enjoy reading. Hopefully, it builds strong comprehension skills, confidence and reading independence,” Jacobs said. “Ultimately, it is not just about earning points but about fostering a lasting love for reading that continues beyond the classroom.”
