Hi everyone, I'd love to get some feedback on how some of you fellow homeschoolers are handling accelerated reading. Are doing some kind of AR program that comes with a curriculum set, what materials do you use? I've noticed that the actual Accelerated Reading program used in schools across the country is only geared towards schools without homeschooling in mind. I have found a wonderful alternative on "BookAdventure". It is the same type of program but it is free and maintained by Sylvan Learning Center. They also have a kids zone where kids can go play games in addition to taking the quizzes to earn prizes. You can download the booklist for quizzes listed on the site as well to make it easier to determine which books to select. There is also a genre selection tool you can use to search for books according to your child's interest. I cross reference the booklist posted on book adventure's website with my local library's catalog search. I also let my daughter pick out books at the library (they have the books marked according to AR reading level) that she wants to read. If bookadventure does not have a quiz for that book I just create my own quizzes using quibblo.com's scored quizzes. I hope this info helps anyone out there looking to do accelerated reading. My 5 almost 6 year old daughter loves to read even more than she did before we started using bookadventure and she even looks forward to the quizzes.
Thanks for the info. I went to that site. I was looking for a few books last night at a specific reading level and this will give me a few ideas. I just pick books that I think my kids will like that are at their reading level. We just use the actual books and no curriculum. If a book seems easy I might move them up a bit or if the book seems a little hard I will give them more books around that level before moving on to a more difficult level.
We have used bookadventure.org for years. I used to look for books on the AR reading list, but have since relaxed way more in our homeschooling endeavors and have dropped the idea of reading levels for the most part... I mean I'm not going to allow my oldest to choose The Cat in the Hat as his reading book for that week (he can surely read it for fun along with his "mom approved" book) but you get my point. If he were to decided to read 3 Magic Tree House books for his weekly reading, then I probably would consider that just as much as I would consider it fine if he chose to read Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (which is what he is reading right now).
I love Book Adventure! My kids go on it without me even telling them to. Any book they finish reading they automatically go on and look for the quiz! LOL Sick. Sick. Sick! LOL I'll have to figure out how to work the system to find books for them. I am trying to put together their summer reading list....so....might be a good idea....
