ERIC Number: ED556333
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2013
Pages: 41
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Accelerated Reader and Young People's Reading: Findings from the National Literacy Trust's 2012 Annual Literacy Survey on Reading Enjoyment, Reading Behaviour outside Class and Reading Attitudes
Clark, Christina
National Literacy Trust
Accelerated Reader (AR) is a powerful tool that motivates students of all ages and abilities to read for pleasure. A wealth of data is routinely collected about children's reading skills to monitor and help manage their independent reading. However, no information is collected on the "softer" reading outcomes, such as reading enjoyment and attitudes towards reading. National Literacy Trust was therefore commissioned by Renaissance Learning to help plug that gap using data from the Trust's third annual literacy survey conducted in November/December 2012. 34,910 children and young people aged eight to 16 participated in the survey, which, amongst other literacy aspects, explores whether young people enjoy reading, how often they read outside class and for how long, what type of materials they read outside class, how many books they read in a month and what they think about reading. In order to explore the differences, if any, between children and young people who use AR and those who do not in terms of their reading enjoyment and reading attitudes, a question was inserted in this survey, which simply asked children whether they use Accelerated Reader or not. Overall, findings show that children and young people who use AR are more likely to enjoy reading, to do it more often, to read a greater variety of fiction genres and to think more positively about reading than their peers who do not use this reading tool. This holds particularly true for boys, and pupils in KS3 (aged 11 to 14) and KS4 (14 to 16). An appendix provides an introduction to the annual literacy survey.
Descriptors: Acceleration (Education), Reading Programs, Independent Reading, Recreational Reading, Reading Attitudes, Children, Adolescents, Student Surveys, Literacy, Time on Task, Literature Appreciation, Reading Motivation, Literary Genres, Foreign Countries
National Literacy Trust. Swire House, 59 Buckingham Gate, London, SW1E 6AJ, UK. Tel: +44-2078-282435; Fax: +44-2079-319986; e-mail: contact@literacytrust.org.uk; Web site: http://www.literacytrust.org.uk
Publication Type: Reports - Research; Numerical/Quantitative Data
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: National Literacy Trust (England)
Identifiers - Location: United Kingdom
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A