Pros and cons on Accelerated Reader (AR) Program

Accelerated Reader (AR) Program is a great opportunity for everyone. It helps students improve their reading and vocabulary. I personally did not like to read, but when I arrived to LA River School, they had the AR Program. I started reading books and now I love them because it has motivated me to keep reading more and achieve my AR Points. Reading is very important because it makes you more familiar with words you have never encountered before, and you can use them in your writing. Some students do not like this program at all, while others just do not like to read, but the ones who do like reading in my current grade level are rare. Reading has opened a new world for me. I like to read suspenseful books that have to do with abduction and mystery.

The pros to the AR program are that it helps challenge yourself to read more and more books. There is a party at our school for the students who have read the most books and reached a certain number of words read within all the books they have read. I believe this is a great way to motivate kids to keep reading and to not give up. It counts as a grade in your English class. That is one of the down falls for students. They think it’s unfair because they are forced to read. Many do not enjoy reading and end up failing the AR deadline because they don’t take the quiz. It affects them because they end up failing the class. This takes students to extreme measures which are to cheat. They will ask a friend to do it for them and take another AR quiz from another book they have read before. Teachers themselves also feel disappointed because these situations occur and are putting a stop to it. What students really need to do is find a book that is their taste and captures their attention. This will help them read more and interact with their reading.

“What I like about the AR program is it keeps track of our progress and it helps us discover what kinds of genres we like,” said Crystal Howard, a student in the AR Program.

“I do not like it because it keeps track of your progress and teachers have to give you how many points you need to pass your AR deadline,” said student Eduardo Aguilar.

On the other hand, other students thought it was a great idea because it challenged them to read more books higher than their AR level.

“I like to read books that are greater than my AR level because I feel I can do it [and] want to read more, and reading is my passion. It challenges me to read higher level books,” said student Adan Casas.

“Without the AR Program I would have not grabbed not even one book to read and discover that reading is actually fun,” said student Isaias Garcia.

“It’s a great program that motivates and allows students to select books that are right for them,” said LA River School Librarian and Honors Writing Seminar teacher Mrs. Lemus.

The accelerated reading program has its advantages and disadvantages, but it’s all up to us as the student to see it in a good way or a bad way. I personally think it’s a great idea and suggest the teachers to work a little harder with the students who have not found their ideal book yet. Picking a book can be difficult because I struggle myself, but eventually I find the book that really captures my eye and interests me.

It’s an excellent idea to have this AR program. Many students try to read as much as they can to be the no. 1 reader of the whole school. I have so far have read 301,235 words. I feel proud of myself, even though I am not the top reader, but have the satisfaction that I’m reading more than I should.