DETAILS: Location: Aberdeen, Scotland; Design: Independent, quasi-experimental, peer-reviewed; Sample: 89 students in grades 5 and 6 at two schools; Measures: Edinburgh reading comprehension test, Neale reading accuracy test; Duration: 6 months. RESULTS: The student population involved in this study consisted of mixed abilities including special education and students learning English as a second language. The study looked at the effect of Accelerated Reader and partially implemented best classroom practices on students from two schools in severely economically disadvantaged areas of Scotland. The schools were divided into two separate project studies, A and B. Results indicated that despite having less reading time than comparison students, the students using Accelerated Reader (AR) best practices demonstrated greater statistically significant gains in reading achievement across a number of measures, including comprehension and reading accuracy. In addition, students in the Accelerated Reader classes demonstrated measurable gains in attitudes toward reading. (PLEASE NOTE: The document available below is a Summary of this peer-reviewed journal article: Vollands, S. R., Topping, K. J., & Evans, H. M. (1999). Computerized self-assessment of reading comprehension with Accelerated Reader: Action research. Reading and Writing Quarterly, 15(3), 197-211. For a copy of the Full Article, email the Renaissance Learning Research Department: research@renlearn.com)

Publication Date: 06/01/1999

Literature Number: L0323