What is Accelerated Reader (AR)? Your child needs 25 AR points by Friday. You have no idea what that means. You're not alone--and by the end of this guide, you'll understand exactly how the AR reading program works, whether it's actually helping your child become a better reader, and what you can do at home to support their progress. If your child has come home talking about "AR points," "AR quizzes," or asking you to check if a book has an "AR test," you've encountered one of the most widely-used reading programs in American schools: the AR reading program, commonly known as Accelerated Reader. The Accelerated Reader program is a computer-based reading management system developed by Renaissance Learning. First introduced in 1986, the AR reading program is now used in approximately 60,000 schools in the United States and over 80 countries worldwide. According to Renaissance Learning, over 32 million students use their products annually. The basic concept is straightforward: Students read books from AR's extensive library (millions of titles) After reading, students take short computerized quizzes (typically 5-20 questions) Quiz performance earns points based on book difficulty and quiz score Teachers and students track reading progress through accumulated points AR was designed to motivate students to read more and to provide teachers with data about student reading activity. The program is particularly popular in elementary and middle school settings. How Does AR Reading Wor...