Deneal, Brian. “Reading Program Draws Some Parent Complaints.” The Daily Register, Wednesday, March 21, 2000.

Jensen, J.J. "Accelerated Schools Program Points to 'Lifelong Readers.'" The Seattle Times, Monday, December 9, 2002.

Member Response:  The Seattle Times' report on Accelerated Reader ("Accelerated schools program points to 'lifelong readers'," December 9) omits the scientific research. Accelerated reader has four components: children spend more time reading, have access to more books, take tests, and get prizes. There is plenty of evidence showing that time spent reading and having access to more books results in more reading and better reading. There is no scientific evidence showing that tests and rewards lead to more and better reading., and there is some evidence suggesting that rewards have a detrimental effect in the long run. Children don't need Accelerated Reader: Children need good libraries, time to read, and encouragement and guidance from teachers and librarians. The best reward is the pleasure of reading a good book. No child needs rewards and prizes to read Goosebumps and Harry Potter.

Mathews, Jay. “Heavy Reading Reaps Rewards: Computer-Based Programs Help Students Learn to Love Books, but Others Question Point System.” The Washington Post, Tuesday, March 19, 2002.

Member Response:  As an educator who is constantly thinking about how to best meet my students' reading needs, I was saddened to see such an influential newspaper promote a computer-based program like Accelerated Reader.

I have read numerous books that have given me a wonderful background in how to best teach students to read and how to instill in them a lifelong desire to read, and more importantly, think about what it is that they are reading. If you were to enter my classroom you would find students talking about books, recommending books and thinking about the books that they are reading. Students are also understanding the different purposes for reading and are exposed to a variety of text both fiction and nonfiction.

Research shows that efficient readers use a comprehension system that goes beyond surface recall, which is what Accelerated Reader promotes.

In today's world we need kids to evaluate what they read so that when they read articles like "Heavy Reading Reaps Rewards," they can see the huge deficits and problems in these kinds of programs. Efficient readers use a much deeper structural system to understand what they read. These readers used prior knowledge to create connections, they ask questions, create images, make predictions, inferences and synthesize. They also notice the beauty of the language that so many books have.

Superficial programs like Accelerated Reader do not promote the deeper kind of thinking that today's learners need. When I read, questions like "What is the name of the principal of Potomac View Elementary School in Prince William County?" have little value to me. Instead, I wonder how an educator can promote a program that has little educational value.

Another problem with this program is that students no longer think about the books they choose. Last year a student from another class approached me with two books in hand. He asked me what book he should choose. The two books dealt with two different sports and so I asked him which one he liked better. He didn't like either of those sports, but they would give him points on the Accelerated Reader program. I cringed at the idea of people choosing books for points and not for love, interest, and the desire to expand on their interests.

I also consider myself to be pretty computer literate, and for anyone who says that "and one of the few to show results that go beyond teaching students how to use a computer" doesn't seem to be much of a computer expert. Accelerated Reader is a glorified worksheet and does not use technology in effective ways at all.

I think that there are better ways to instill a love and need for reading in students. I have also heard horror stories of students who have been turned off to reading because of Accelerated Reader. I really hope that educators and parents realize that programs like this do not promote reading and anyone who says that it does, I really wonder if they knew how to inspire reading in the first place. If a teacher says that Accelerated Reader creates readers, I wonder if they truly understand what reading, thinking and learning are all about. Please rethink what some consider being a good thing for students. I really think that we will see programs like this being detrimental to any educator's desire to create lifelong learners in their classroom.

Oppenheimer, Todd. "Computer illogic despite great promise, technology is dumbing down the classroom." The San Francisco Chronicle, November 30, 2003.

Member Response: I read your article in the Chronicle. I have reviewed every study I could find on accelerated reader and have come to the same conclusions Prof. Kennedy did. My paper was published in the Journal of Children's Literature and is available on my website, http://www.sdkrashen.com/articles/does_accelerated_reader_work/index.html