Accelerated Reader at The Winstanley School
At The Winstanley School, we work continuously to improve our students’ reading abilities and experiences. Since 2021 we have been using Accelerated Reader with all students in years 7 and 8. You and your child may well already be familiar with the programme but if not, please read the information below (taken directly from The Parents’ Guide to Accelerated Reader). The link, which follows this, provides more information if you are keen to know more.
Accelerated Reader is a computer program that helps teachers and librarians manage and monitor children’s independent reading practice. Your child picks a book at his own level and reads it at his own pace. When finished, your child takes a short quiz on the computer. (Passing the quiz is an indication that your child understood what was read.) Accelerated Reader gives children, teachers, and librarians feedback based on the quiz results, which the teacher then uses to help your child set goals and direct ongoing reading practice.
Children using Accelerated Reader choose their own books to read, rather than having one assigned to them. This makes reading a much more enjoyable experience as they can choose books that are interesting to them.
Teachers and librarians help your child choose books at an appropriate readability level that are challenging without being frustrating, ensuring that your child can pass the quiz and experience success.
If your child does not do well on the quiz, the teacher or librarian may help your child:
- Choose another book that is more appropriate.
- Ask more probing questions as your child reads and before your child takes a quiz.
- Pair your child with another student, or even have the book read to your child.
In most cases, children really enjoy taking the quizzes. Since they’re reading books at their reading and interest levels, they are likely to be successful. This is satisfying for most children. Best of all, they learn and grow at their own pace.
https://www.renaissance.com/2016/09/09/parents-guide-renaissance-accelerated-reader-360/
Research shows that students who read regularly, either independently, to and with others, perform better in school in a range of subjects than many of those who do not. This is because they are likely to obtain and understand a wider vocabulary as well as improving their spelling skills. We want to work with you on encouraging your child to read.
In school, we will give students time to read books of their choice and take the quizzes on them and we hope that you will support your child with their reading at home by encouraging them to do it, listening to them and by discussing their book choices with them too.
All students will be expected to keep a reading log updated and this will be checked by tutors fortnightly and we will be asking all students to always have a reading book in their school bags so they can read at any time!
Have a browse of the book list. These are suggestions of books which typically 11-13 olds might enjoy and ones for which there are Accelerated Reader quizzes are written. Don’t feel restricted by it though…read away!
Recommended Reads: Years 7/8
Action & Thrillers
Bodyguard or Young Samurai (& sequels); Bullet Catcher or Gamer by Chris Bradford*
Alone by DJ Brazier
Mortal Chaos, Speed Freaks, The Everest Files (& sequels) or Lie, Kill, Walk Away – Matt Dickinson
Lightning Girl (& sequels) by Alesha Dixon
The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd
Silverfin or The Enemy (& sequels) by C Higson
Stormbreaker (& sequels) by A. Horowitz*
Girl Missing (& sequels) by Sophie McKenzie
The Recruit (& sequels) by R. Muchamore*
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
Wolf Wilder, The Good Thieves, The Explorer, Rooftoppers by Katherine Rundell
Night Speakers or Carjacked by Ali Sparkes
Murder Most Unladylike (& sequels) – R Stevens
Lost (Choose Your Own Adventure) -T Turner
Dystopian & Science Fiction
Ink (& sequels) by Alice Broadway
Gone or BRZK (& sequels) -Michael Grant
The Boy Who Flew by Fleur Hitchcock
The Giver and Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry
The Knife of Never Letting Go (& sequels)-P Ness
MetaWars: Fight for the Future (&sequels)- Norton
Railhead & Mortal Engines (& sequels)-P Reeve
Remade (& sequels) or Time Riders – Alex Scarrow
Dry, Scythe, Unwind (& sequels) – N Shusterman
Contagion or Slated (& sequels) by Teri Terry
The 5th Wave (& sequels) by Rick Yancey
Fantasy, Magic Realism, Horror & Ghost
Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
The House With Chicken Legs & The Girl Who Speaks Bear by Sophie Anderson
Cogheart by Peter Bunzl
Mind Writer by Steve Cole*
Artemis Fowl (& sequels) by Eoin Colfer
The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper
The Stormkeeper’s Island by Catherine Doyle
Rumblestar by Abi Elphinstone
Who Let the Gods Out (& sequels) by Maz Evans
Ranger’s Apprentice or Brotherband – J Flanagan
Inkheart (& sequels) by Cornelia Funke
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
Blackberry Blue by Jamila Gavin
Girl of Ink and Stars by Kiran Millwood Hargrave
Skulduggery Pleasant (& sequels) by Derek Landy
Zom-B or Cirque du Freak (& sequels) by D. Shan*
Eragon (& sequels) by Christopher Paolini
Tales of Terror, Mister Creecher –Chris Priestley
Northern Lights (& sequels) by Phillip Pullman
Goth Girl (& sequels) by Chris Riddell*
Mrs Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children –Riggs
Percy Jackson or Kane Chronicles series by Riordan
Thunderstruck or Unleashed by Ali Sparkes*
The Edge Chronicles by P Stewart and C Riddell
Humorous books
Little Badman &[…] Killer Aunties by Humza Arshad
Millions, Cosmic or Broccoli Boy by Frank C Boyce
The Last Kids on Earth (& sequels) by Max Brallier
Fenway and Hattie by Victoria Cole*
Adventures of a Wimpy Vampire(&more)–T.Collins*
To Be a Cat by Matt Haig
Cookie & the Most Annoying Boy… by Konnie Huq*
Enginerds (& sequels) by Jarrett Lerner*
Disaster Diaries: Zombies (&sequels)-R McGeddon*
The Donut Diaries series – A McGowan*
The Accidental Billionaire series- T McLaughlin
The World of Norm series by Jonathon Meres*
Planet Omar by Zanib Mian
Timmy Failure series by Stephan Pastis*
Middle School series by James Patterson*
Tom Gates series by Liz Pichon (dyslexia-friendly)*
Big Nate series by Lincoln Peirce*
Killer Animals series by Tracey Turner
Relationships & Tough Situations
Boy Underwater by Adam Baron
Noughts and Crosses, Cloud Busting, Boys Don’t Cry or Pig-Heart Boy by Malorie Blackman
Blubber or anything by Judy Blume
Artichoke Hearts or Jasmine Skies -S. Brahmachari
A Pocketful of Stars by Aisha Bushby
One, Apple &Rain, Moonrise, Toffee -S Crossan
Blended or Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper
Running on Empty by S.E. Durrant
Mind the Gap, Being Billy or Saving Daisy – P Earle*
The Many Worlds of Albie Bright –Chris Edge
Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine
Tulip Touch, Goggle Eyes or Flour Babies by A. Fine
Lenny’s Book of Everything by Karen Foxlee
Check Mates & The Bubble Boy by Stewart Foster
Unstoppable by Dan Freedman *
George by Alex Gino
Tall Story or Shine by Candy Gourlay
The Island at the End of Everything–KM Hargrave
After the Fire by Will Hill
Boy in the Tower by Polly Ho-Yen
A Different Dog by Paul Jennings*
Race to the Frozen North or 1783 by C Johnson*
Red Sky in the Morning by Elizabeth Laird
Scarlet Ibis by Gill Lewis
Lark (& series) by Anthony McGowan
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
No Fixed Address or Word Nerd by Susan Nielsen
Wonder by R.J. Palacio
Pax by Sarah Pennypacker
Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick
My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece by A Pitcher
Unboxed by Non Pratt *
Long Way Down, Look Both Ways, Ghost or Patina by Jason Reynolds*
Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan
The Marvels or Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick*
The Boxer by Nikesh Shukla
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Goldfish Boy by Lisa Thompson
A Boy Called Hope by Lara Williamson
Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
Sports
Booked, Crossover or Rebound – K. Alexander*
Charlie Merrick’s Misfits… by David Cousins*
Stat Man by Alan Durant *
The Beautiful Game series by Dhami (girls’ football)
Man of the Match (& series) by Dan Freedman
The Number 7 Shirt or The Lion Roars – A Gibbons*
Kick by Mitch Johnson
The Fix by Sophie McKenzie*
Ultimate Football Heroes Collection – M&T Oldfield
Football Academy or Foul Play series–Tom Palmer*
Soccer Squad, Dream On (& series) by Bali Rai*
Pay Attention, Carter Jones by Gary Schmidt*
War, Conflict and the Refugee Experience
Soldier Dog or A Horse Called Hero – Sam Angus
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by J Boyne
Illegal by Eoin Colfer *
Wolf Children, Red Shadow, Eleven Eleven, Auslander & True Stories books – Paul Dowswell
Under a War-Torn Sky by L.M. Elliott
Boy 87 by Ele Fountain
The Bone Sparrow by Zana Fraillion
Once (& sequels) by Morris Gleitzman *
Bone Talk by Candy Gourlay
Grenade by Alan Gratz
Orphan Monster Spy by Matt Killeen
Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai
Buffalo Soldier or Apache by Tanya Landman
Every Falling Star (North Korea) by Sungju Lee
Dog Tags: Semper Fido or Strays by C A London*
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
The Skylarks’ War by Hilary McKay
War Horse or Private Peaceful by M Morpurgo
Sunrise Over Fallujah by Walter Dean Myers*
A Night Divided by Jennifer Nielson
Armistice Runner or Over the Line by Tom Palmer*
A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park
The Red Pencil by Andrea David Pinkney
The Boy at the Back of the Class by Onjali Rauf
Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys
Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliffe
Refugee Boy by Benjamin Zephaniah
Note to parents: Some books from this list are written for young adult readers; this means there may be ‘gritty’ content. Generally by Key Stage 3 young people are ready for this, but parents know their children best; if you have queries about suitability, please check online reviews or ask your child’s teacher.
* = Top picks for reluctant readers