A Study of the Computerized Reading Management Program, Accelerated Reader, and its Effect on Reading Among Primary Grade Students

This study examined the computerized reading management program, Accelerated Reader and its effect on primary grade students. The purpose of the study was to test Accelerated Reader\u27s effect on reading comprehension among two student populations that were demographically similar. Two schools were chosen, Orem Elementary, School A, where the researcher is employed, and School B, another elementary school in Alpine School District. An ex post facto, non-randomized control group design was used. Data from the Utah Core Assessment Series End-of-Level, Reading, Level 3 Form A, (1989) and the Stanford Achievement Test (1990) was used. Students who attended either School A or School B during the first, second, and third grades were included in the cohort of students used for this study. Students who moved in or out during this time were excluded. There were 190 students who participated: School A, 104 students; School B, 86 students. The hypothesis tested was: There will be a significant difference between students who use Accelerated Reader and those who do not when comparing the reading comprehension scores of primary grade students (grades 1-3) on the Utah Core Assessment Series test as well as the Stanford Achievement Test. Analysis of various statistical tests indicate no significant statistical difference between School A and School B in Reading Comprehension, as well as subcategories Detail, Inference, Main Idea, and Sequence. These results might infer that Accelerated Reader did not perform as claimed, however, the study found that not all components of the process were put into practice. Full implementation is necessary before any increase in reading comprehension may be expected