A reading revolution

Birches Head Academy in Stoke-on-Trent has started using the Accelerated Reader software to improve reading skills among pupils, preparing them for their GCSEs. The initiative offers a personalised program for each pupil, tailoring the reading recommendations to individual interests and reading abilities.

The trial has been in place for a few of months and is currently only used by year seven students, with the ultimate aim to expand the programme across the rest of the school. The initiative is designed to nurture pupils’ love of books and help them feel successful and motivated when reading.

The Accelerated Reader software, designed by Renaissance Learning, a company that specialises in the development of assisted learning programs, runs on a simple, yet effective format. Each pupil takes an initial test that scores their reading age range. From here, the software recommends a list of age and skill-appropriate books for the pupil to try.

The reading lists encompass fictional and non-fictional titles alike. So far, the most popular authors among the pupils have been David Williams, Darren Shan, Tom Gates, Suzanne Collins, Jacqueline Wilson, Jeff Kinney and J.K. Rowling.

The pupil then selects a book from the lower spectrum of the list to read. After finishing the book, there is a short quiz designed to assess the reader’s understanding of the story and any challenging vocabulary. After passing the test, the pupil is encouraged to move on to the next book. The most successful and enthusiastic Birches Head Academy pupils are also given rewards in the form of book vouchers.

“The programme has had good results so far,” explains Katie Dixon, vice principal at Birches Head Academy. “It has started to change our pupils’ attitudes towards reading. Accelerated Reader helps them have a bigger sense of accomplishment when they finish a book and you can see they’re more excited at the prospect of starting a new volume.

“At the moment, we’re devoting one hour each week to the program and encouraging the pupils to take their books home with them,” continues Dixon. “Parents can easily check the progress their children are making. By getting the parents and staff involved, we’re hoping to develop a culture of reading and to stimulate our pupils to grow up loving books.”