Literacy Programs
Accelerated Reader
Just as with any other skill, learning to read requires a balance among motivation, quality instruction, and effective practice. If we have only one or two of these elements, then students will not learn to read well. Accelerated Reader is a program that motivates students to practice effectively. Effective practice contains the following elements:
- It must be at the right level of difficulty for the individual.
- It must be sustained for a sufficient amount of time.
- It must be guided by the instructor.
- It must be enjoyable enough to sustain.
We have found that Accelerated Reader is an excellent way to ensure our students engage in effective reading practice.
Students select and read books, then take a brief computer-based comprehension quiz. AR scores and tracks the results, allowing teachers to monitor and individualize students' reading instruction. Accelerated Reader offers quizzes on more than 140,000 different books, in both English and Spanish.
What an incredible day at the Bijan Reads book fair! Our Humphries students had an absolute blast surrounded by books as far as the eye could see at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium. This event, organized by the Bijan Robinson Foundation, made reading not just fun but an unforgettable experience!
Falcons' Bijan Robinson hosted an amazing book fair, bringing the joy of reading to thousands of students. Just pick up a book and let the adventure begin!
From exploring new titles to participating in engaging activities, the smiles on our students' faces said it all. We are so grateful for opportunities like this that inspire a love for reading and learning. Can’t wait for the next adventure!
Beanstack and Race to Read
What are Beanstack and Race to Read?
"The citywide Race2Read Challenge aims to erase the critical literacy gap by uniting schools, families, churches, businesses, and public and private sectors to help increase reading proficiency of APS students. APS is partnering with Urban League of Greater Atlanta to challenge students, teachers, staff, parents, community members, and business partners to read daily to help collectively reach 10 million minutes of leisure reading." (Seth Coleman, Media Relations Manager, Atlanta Public Schools, September 10, 2020)
Beanstack is a program/app that helps motivate readers and build a school culture of reading. Students, staff, teachers, parents, and other stakeholders use it to record the time they spend reading. Race to Read is the APS reading challenge. We are encouraging the Atlanta Public Schools community to read 10 million minutes by the end of May.
Reading is important to our students' learning. We hope that our students can find at least 20 minutes a day for quiet reading time with a book they enjoy, not just an assigned read.
APS STUDENTS
Username: Network ID
PIN: lunch number
Class Pass
Did you know Atlanta Public Schools staff and students have a digital library card? Thanks to our partnership with the Atlanta Fulton County Public Library, APS students and staff have access to dozens of resources, including online databases, eBooks, eAudiobooks, streaming videos, and hundreds of thousands of books available at public libraries.