1. Accelerated Reader™ Best Practices for English Language Learners
With the right kind of help, English language learners excel. Consider the students at Sudan Elementary School in Texas, a pre-K—7 school with an Hispanic population of almost 50 percent. For years, the achievement gap on state tests between Hispanic and non-Hispanic students was high: 40.8 percentage points in And then, in 1999, the school adopted Accelerated Reader. Teachers attended training and began implementing best practices. Four years later, the achievement gap between Sudan’s Hispanic and non-Hispanic students dropped to just 4.9 points. Read the research report.
Their success is remarkable, given the trends nationwide. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, more than 30 percent of students who speak English as a second language drop out of high school. For students who speak English with difficulty, the drop-out rate is 51 percent.

2. Use AR for English Language Learners
Encourages extensive reading practice
Enables individualization
Provides ongoing feedback to monitor
Builds excitement for reading
Accelerated Reader promotes reading growth in all students, but it is especially effective with English language learners for the following reasons:
· It encourages large amounts of reading practice, which builds background knowledge and reading endurance.
It enables individualization so that every student reads at an appropriate level and learns vocabulary at an optimum pace.
· It provides a constant stream of data that can be used for monitoring, guidance, and intervention.
· It gets students excited about reading, which is fundamental to success in school.
☼ The National Research Council’s Committee on the Prevention of Reading Difficulties in Young Children recommends that students acquire “a reasonable level of oral proficiency” in a language before literacy instruction is introduced. To accelerate students’ English acquisition we offer a software program called English in a Flash, which focuses on sounds, vocabulary, and grammar.

3. How Accelerated Reader Works
A student selects and reads a book.
The student uses a computer to take a quiz on the book.
Accelerated Reader adds the quiz result to its database and generates reports for the student and the teacher.
The teacher monitors the data and uses it to actively guide the student’s reading practice.
Accelerated Reader makes large amounts of reading practice possible by keeping track of the books students have read and how well they understood them. The process goes like this:
· A student selects and reads a book.
· The student uses a computer to take a quiz on the book.
· Accelerated Reader adds the quiz result to its database and generates reports for the student and the teacher.
· The teacher monitors the data and uses it to actively guide the student’s reading practice.
Students select books that are interesting to them and are at an appropriate level. To facilitate this process, Accelerated Reader provides a book level, interest level, and point value for more than 87,000 books. Book level indicates the readability of the text, and interest level relates to the maturity of the content. Point values are based on a book’s length and difficulty. While Accelerated Reader is effective with students of all backgrounds, most English language learners in the United States speak Spanish as a first language. For this reason, we have created nearly 6,000 quizzes for books written in Spanish. In addition, we have developed tools for monitoring reading in Spanish.

4. Find Zone of Proximal Development
Best Practice #1—Find the optimum level for reading practice or ZPD
Identify ZPD for reading in English
Use STAR or SEL
Adjust according to student performance
Identify students’ ZPD for reading in primary language
Use formal assessment and/or professional judgment
Practice that is too easy does little to improve skills, but practice that is too hard leads to frustration. In between lies the most productive level: practice that is both challenging and pleasurable and, as a result, leads to optimum growth. Borrowing a concept from the Russian psychologist Lev Vygotsky, we call this range of appropriate practice the zone of proximal development, or ZPD.
Native speakers of English have a ZPD for reading in English. English language learners have a ZPD for reading in English and a ZPD for reading in their primary language. These may or may not be the same. For example, some students may be able to read at an age-appropriate level in their native language but have limited reading skills in English. Other students may have had little formal schooling before entering the U.S. and may not be literate in either language.
One of your first tasks with Accelerated Reader is to identify your students’ ZPD for reading in English. If your students speak Spanish or another language for which you have reading materials, you will also want to identify their ZPD for reading in their primary language.
To determine an initial ZPD in Spanish, obtain a grade-equivalent score from a test of Spanish reading and then consult our Goal-Setting Chart to identify the corresponding ZPD. If you do not have a formal assessment, consider using an informal reading inventory from an ESL text. These tests usually contain passages written in Spanish at various levels, along with comprehension questions. If you don’t have any test of Spanish reading available, estimate a student’s ZPD using your best judgment. If your students speak another language that you also speak and for which you have leveled reading materials, you can estimate an initial ZPD in that language by having students read short passages and asking them questions about it in their native language. Or you can use your judgment.   
☼ When estimating a ZPD be sure not to confuse oral-proficiency level with reading level. An English language learner can have good conversational English skills and still have difficulty with English texts.
If Students Are Not Yet Reading in English, use STAR Early Literacy to help you assess prereading skills needed for reading in English. This test, which can be administered in about 10 minutes, gives data on 41 skills in seven areas: general readiness, graphophonemic knowledge, phonemic awareness, phonics, structural analysis, vocabulary, and comprehension. It also indicates whether a student is an emergent reader, transitional reader, or probable reader in English.
Keep in mind that a student’s listening proficiency in English will affect his or her test score. In other words, if a student scores low on STAR Early Literacy, it could be because she did not have sufficient English vocabulary to understand the questions. If you speak the student’s first language, you may want to ask the student to translate a few of the questions from English to that language as a check of the student’s understanding.

5. Schedule Time for Reading Practice
Best Practice #2—Provide sufficient time and plenty of books
At elementary level, 30 minutes in English
If possible, include reading practice time in first language as well
Engaged time on task—practice—must be part of a reading program. For students reading at an elementary-grade level, we recommend at least thirty minutes a day of reading practice in English and, if possible, in the student’s primary language. For Spanish-speaking students, for example, that means thirty minutes of reading practice in English and thirty minutes of reading practice in Spanish. Make reading practice a routine part of your students’ school day.
Equally important, make sure that students have plenty of books from which to choose and that there are AR quizzes for most of them. Once students begin using Accelerated Reader, they will clamor to read books with quizzes! AR Enterprise Edition gives you access to all of our quizzes. How many of the matching books do you have? Are the books appropriate for your students’ ZPD? Work with your media specialist to inventory your school library and locate the gaps. Remember, too, that your public library may have books for which you have AR quizzes.
☼ One way to check your library’s collection against our quiz list is through a special software program that we have created called AR BookGuide. Import your MARC files, and AR BookGuide will identify the quizzes for which you do not have matching books.

6. Reading To and With Students
Reading aloud
Preview vocabulary
Preview concepts
Paraphrase as necessary
Paired reading
Peer reader or audiotape support
Choral reading
Use movement and gestures
Reading To and With Students
Not all of a student’s reading needs to be done independently. Reading to students, reading with them, and choral reading are all beneficial practices.
Reading aloud to students helps them become familiar with the sounds and structures of English. Keep in mind, however, that listening is more demanding when the language is a second language and not the primary language. Be alert to a book’s vocabulary and concepts. Preview the book, and, as you read, point to pictures and paraphrase potentially difficult sections to be sure students understand the story.
Paired reading can help students read more fluently. Pair an English language learner with a more skilled reader and instruct them to read the text aloud together. You may also wish to provide ELLs with books and corresponding audiotapes.
Choral reading, which calls upon students to recite short text and act out the meaning with movement or gestures, can be an opportunity to discuss vocabulary and reinforce concepts.

7. Check TOPS Report
Best Practice #3—Use AR quiz results to help you guide students to appropriate books
Averages of 85% or higher
Narrow ZPD ranges to start
Best Practice #3: Use AR quiz results to help you guide students to appropriate books. Explain that quiz results come in the form of a TOPS Report.
Once students begin reading and quizzing, keep a close watch on their quiz results. Our research shows that if a student is averaging at least 85 percent on AR Reading Practice Quizzes, he or she is reading within an appropriate ZPD.
Teachers tell us that an English language learner’s ZPD for reading in English can be narrow. For example, while for native speakers a grade-equivalent score of 2.0 on STAR Reading correlates to a ZPD of 2.0 to 3.0, ELL students may do best at the lower end of that range—perhaps 2.0 to 2.3.
If a student is not able to maintain an average of 85 percent or if the student scores below 80 percent on an individual quiz, you may need to lower the student’s ZPD. When a student consistently scores high on quizzes for books within his or her ZPD, you may wish to widen the reading range.

8. Routines To Monitor Best Practice #4—Establish routines for monitoring
Student Reading Logs
Also available in Spanish
Status of the Class
Conversational interaction in English
We recommend that your students maintain Student Reading Logs. These are paper-and-pencil forms that enable you and them to keep track of their daily reading practice in English. Different logs are available for emergent, beginning, and established readers.While your students are reading during their scheduled “AR time,” go around the room, check their logs, and see how they are doing. Ask yourself: Is the book within the student’s ZPD? If not, why not? Has the student read a reasonable number of pages? Student Reading Logs can be printed from the software.
We provide the same three versions of the Student Reading Log in Spanish. These can also be printed from the software.

9. Data-Driven Decision-Making
Best Practice #5—Use reports to keep
track of progress
TOPS Report
Available in Spanish
Diagnostic Report
Student Record Report
Accelerated Reader generates a number of reports to help you assess student progress.
The TOPS Report prints immediately after a student finishes a Reading Practice Quiz. It gives the results for that quiz and summarizes the student’s progress to date. Instruct your students to show you the report right away. That way you can reinforce good work or offer guidance if needed before the student selects another book. The TOPS Report is also an excellent tool for communicating with parents. You can choose to have the report print in either English or Spanish.  
The Diagnostic Report provides significant data about every student in your class or for selected students, including the number of quizzes passed and taken, average percent correct, points earned, and average book level. Diagnostic codes alert you to students having trouble. We recommend that you run a Diagnostic Report once a week as a routine check to see if students are taking quizzes and averaging at least 85 percent. You can choose to have the report show data for just English quizzes, just Spanish quizzes, or English and Spanish quizzes together.
The Student Record Report provides data on an individual student, noting how the student did on every type of quiz taken during the period you indicate. It is a valuable tool for analyzing a student’s practice, especially if the student is scoring low on quizzes. Ask yourself, “With which kinds of books is the student successful? With which kinds of books is the student having trouble?” Results of quizzes taken in Spanish are reported separately from results of quizzes taken in English so that you can more easily examine the data for each language.

10. Best Books To Use Books with strong visual elements:
Provide scaffolding
Photographs
Illustrations
Other graphics
As you develop your collection for English language learners, consider the following:
· Books with strong visual elements are a good fit for English language learners because photographs, illustrations, and other graphics provide scaffolding.
· Many picture books can be used with older students as well as primary students.
· Accumulating a number of books on the same topic is a way to reinforce vocabulary and build concepts.
· Books that contain “survival” vocabulary—for example, books about school, the days of the week, foods, clothing, and the weather—can be especially useful for initial reading in English.
· Fiction books that have simple, linear plotlines and nonfiction books with a clear layout are easier for English language learners to understand.
· Books that are based on a student’s own culture may be more accessible than those that are heavily rooted in American culture.
· Many English language learners find books about fitting in, moving, or adjusting to new situations enjoyable to read.
☼ In order for students to make good choices, books must be labeled with readability level, interest level, and point value. You can print labels from Accelerated Reader or you can order labels from us.

11. Books with Same Topic Choose multiple books on the same topic
Reinforce vocabulary and build concepts
As you develop your collection for English language learners, consider the following:
· Books with strong visual elements are a good fit for English language learners because photographs, illustrations, and other graphics provide scaffolding.
· Many picture books can be used with older students as well as primary students.
· Accumulating a number of books on the same topic is a way to reinforce vocabulary and build concepts.
· Books that contain “survival” vocabulary—for example, books about school, the days of the week, foods, clothing, and the weather—can be especially useful for initial reading in English.
· Fiction books that have simple, linear plotlines and nonfiction books with a clear layout are easier for English language learners to understand.
· Books that are based on a student’s own culture may be more accessible than those that are heavily rooted in American culture.
· Many English language learners find books about fitting in, moving, or adjusting to new situations enjoyable to read.
☼ In order for students to make good choices, books must be labeled with readability level, interest level, and point value. You can print labels from Accelerated Reader or you can order labels from us.

12. Survival Vocabulary Books that contain “survival” vocabulary
Books about:
School
Days of the week
Foods
Clothing
Weather
As you develop your collection for English language learners, consider the following:
· Books with strong visual elements are a good fit for English language learners because photographs, illustrations, and other graphics provide scaffolding.
· Many picture books can be used with older students as well as primary students.
· Accumulating a number of books on the same topic is a way to reinforce vocabulary and build concepts.
· Books that contain “survival” vocabulary—for example, books about school, the days of the week, foods, clothing, and the weather—can be especially useful for initial reading in English.
· Fiction books that have simple, linear plotlines and nonfiction books with a clear layout are easier for English language learners to understand.
· Books that are based on a student’s own culture may be more accessible than those that are heavily rooted in American culture.
· Many English language learners find books about fitting in, moving, or adjusting to new situations enjoyable to read.
☼ In order for students to make good choices, books must be labeled with readability level, interest level, and point value. You can print labels from Accelerated Reader or you can order labels from us.

13. Reinforce Student’s Culture
Books based on a student’s own culture and experience
As you develop your collection for English language learners, consider the following:
· Books with strong visual elements are a good fit for English language learners because photographs, illustrations, and other graphics provide scaffolding.
· Many picture books can be used with older students as well as primary students.
· Accumulating a number of books on the same topic is a way to reinforce vocabulary and build concepts.
· Books that contain “survival” vocabulary—for example, books about school, the days of the week, foods, clothing, and the weather—can be especially useful for initial reading in English.
· Fiction books that have simple, linear plotlines and nonfiction books with a clear layout are easier for English language learners to understand.
· Books that are based on a student’s own culture may be more accessible than those that are heavily rooted in American culture.
· Many English language learners find books about fitting in, moving, or adjusting to new situations enjoyable to read.
☼ In order for students to make good choices, books must be labeled with readability level, interest level, and point value. You can print labels from Accelerated Reader or you can order labels from us.

14. Books with Available Translations
Books in English paired with same titles in first language
As you develop your collection for English language learners, consider the following:
· Books with strong visual elements are a good fit for English language learners because photographs, illustrations, and other graphics provide scaffolding.
· Many picture books can be used with older students as well as primary students.
· Accumulating a number of books on the same topic is a way to reinforce vocabulary and build concepts.
· Books that contain “survival” vocabulary—for example, books about school, the days of the week, foods, clothing, and the weather—can be especially useful for initial reading in English.
· Fiction books that have simple, linear plotlines and nonfiction books with a clear layout are easier for English language learners to understand.
· Books that are based on a student’s own culture may be more accessible than those that are heavily rooted in American culture.
· Many English language learners find books about fitting in, moving, or adjusting to new situations enjoyable to read.
☼ In order for students to make good choices, books must be labeled with readability level, interest level, and point value. You can print labels from Accelerated Reader or you can order labels from us.

15. Resources Additional resources Colorin Colorado
Criticas Magazine
Renaissance Learning Quiz Search