Many schools and libraries utilize Accelerated Reader (AR) to foster reading habits among their students and track student progress. Students take online “reading practice quizzes” to assess how well they comprehend a book.
AR BookFinder allows students, teachers, and parents to search for books by ATOS book level, interest level, or title.
BookFinder
BookFinder searches through inventories of booksellers worldwide to locate books that fit your criteria. Enter an author and title, and a list will appear, including information on author level and book level and topics and subtopic drop-down lists that allow for filtering out relevant titles; funny books, scary books, and true stories can even be searched! Entering book titles into BookFinder brings up new and used copies – these will have “new” or “used” in their label so you can click them for additional details – or you can limit searches to books currently in stock!
This search engine also features a unique collection of AR books created by teachers. Each school has a KEYCODE that you can enter to narrow your results to books available at your school, among other criteria such as ATOS book level or Lexile ™ measure, interest level fiction/nonfiction subject award-winners state lists CCSS Exemplars award winners award-winning categories award winner subject winner award winning award winner subjects Award Winning state lists Exemplars Exemplars award winner subjects award winners subject awards winners state lists Exemplars Exemplars, etc.
Points Scan
Use your smartphone as a barcode scanner with this free app that quickly looks up Accelerated Reader level and points information for any book! Simply scan its ISBN/Barcode, and a screen will show its level, point value & quiz number; search titles or authors and get similar data. in addition,, this app provides ATOS (also ZPD), Lexile scores & Equivalent Fountas & Pinnell Guided Reading Level/Grade Level data making this an invaluable tool for parents, teachers & students! Straight Path Apps have created Points Scan – another excellent free tool from Straight Path Apps that offers ATOS (also ZPD), Interest Level/ZPD information, which makes this great app especially valuable! Straight Path Apps has developed Points Scan.
Accelerated Reader Quizzes
As students read, they can take online quizzes to assess their comprehension and knowledge of a book they’re reading. Depending on reading level and book-length, examinations may include multiple choice or short answer questions and help teachers track student progress while making informed decisions about pushing them to maximize achievement. These quizzes enable teachers to monitor student development as they progress and provide the perfect way for educators to assess whether to push students further to reach maximum achievement.
Renaissance Home Connect allows students to see how many points they have earned and targets they must meet, motivating meeting goals while enabling parents to monitor student progress from home using Renaissance Home Connect. Although used by schools nationwide, parents can only gain access to this information if they possess their child’s username and password from his/her school.
Accelerated Reader, developed by Renaissance Learning, is a computerized leveled reading program used by schools and libraries nationwide to encourage students to read at their own pace. Accelerated Reader does this by suggesting books to read, offering quizzes about reading abilities, awarding points when passed, and rewarding those who earn enough points by moving up levels.
There are various Accelerated Reader quizzes. Reading Practice Quizzes are the most frequently encountered, usually consisting of three, five, or 20 multiple-choice questions that vary according to book level and length. Recorded Voice Quizzes provide more engaging practice for beginning readers or English language learners by featuring a professionally recorded narrator who reads all questions and answers aloud.
AR books are assigned a point value determined by ATOS reading level and word count, with higher ATOS reading levels receiving more points. Teachers can set point targets for their students and reward them when they meet them with prizes.
Though Accelerated Reader offers many advantages, some critics contend it does not teach students reading skills and strategies and instead rewards low-level behavior with points. Furthermore, critics state it provides extrinsic motivation by rewarding readers with rewards such as points.
Library Catalog
A library catalog is an indispensable resource for quickly finding books in any library. A catalog consists of a list of materials organized according to some specific plan, such as alphabetical order or author name. The Library of Congress publishes several versions of its catalog online called WorldCat; WorldCat can be searched using keywords entered into one of the search boxes and clicking “search.” Results will then appear on a screen where you can refine your search using various facets or criteria.
A library catalog is an essential tool for librarians to manage the collection they own and help patrons locate what they’re searching for. Many library systems utilize standard formats when cataloging materials so that records from libraries across the country and world can be easily compared; however, other systems still employ individual approaches when arranging and describing their materials in the catalog.
If you can’t locate what you need at your local library, WorldCat, a global database of library information from libraries, worldwide, may help. Searching WorldCat will show whether it is in stock at one or more libraries near you and whether or not a copy exists elsewhere (e.g., a county library system).
When browsing catalog listings of available books in a library, they will include information such as shelf numbers and floors where it can be found. By clicking on titles found in search results, you will also see additional details such as call number or date of publication; should further assistance be needed, please reach out to your librarian directly for help. You can save searches to view later by using “my lists” once logged into your account.