The 18 Reasons Not to Use Accelerated Reader

[Mark Pennington]

Following are short summaries of the most common arguments made by researchers, teachers, parents, and students as to why using AR is counterproductive. Hence,The 18 Reasons Not to Use Accelerated Reader: http://penningtonpublishing.com/blog/reading/the-18-reasons-not-to-...

[teacherninja]

More ammo! Thanks for this.

[Lou Brewer]

I found many of the arguments I have used for "not using" AR in this posting. Although we use AR in our school, I wish I could convince "higher powers" that it should be eliminated now or vastly changed.

[Sandra]

Yes, AR, if it is going to be used, needs to be changed if it can't be eliminated. At least one teacher I know of is using it for a language arts grade even though the principal specifically told them at the beginning of the year that could not be done because they were not giving instruction in AR. Also, it is not even being used the way RenLearn recommends. From my understanding, RenLearn recommends establishing personal goals for each student so that all students have a fair and equal opportunity to meet their goals. Instead some teachers (too many) are using competition between students or with other classes. So, students will low reading levels just give up because they know they will never beat those high level fast readers! So sad...

[Sandra]

This is great!!! I have been looking for more reasons to use against AR. 35% of students at the school where I work are "at risk". I have been pointing out that AR is not working and that the only research saying it does is coming from RenLearn itself! Hardly an objective source!

Thanks so much for posting this!