Improving Reading Comprehension of Self-Chosen Books Through Computer Assessment and Feedback: Best Practices from Research

228 Pages·2022·5.358 MB·English

by  Keith James Topping

Improving Reading
Comprehension of
Self-Chosen Books Through
Computer Assessment and
Feedback
Schools around the world use online programs like Accelerated
Reader and Reading Counts to improve students’ reading com-
prehension of real books, but how can such software be used most
effectively? In this unique resource, researcher Keith Topping
analyzes independent research studies and brings you best prac-
tices on quality implementation to enhance effectiveness. He
explains the evidence base for the programs in a comprehensible
way and addresses many common questions, such as “Does it
work?,” “How should it be implemented to make it work?,” and
“Is it cheaper and more efficient in teacher time than what we
were doing before?” He also discusses best practices for using
the assessment data, for tailoring implementation in elementary
vs. high schools, and for working with disadvantaged students.
Appropriate for teachers, literacy coaches, curriculum lead-
ers, and other stakeholders, the book will provide you with a
strong research foundation and easily accessible information to
help you fine- tune your understanding of the reading programs
and implement them more successfully in your schools and
classrooms.
Keith James Topping is a researcher, educator, author, and
international speaker. His interests are peer learning, parents
as educators, social competence, computer- assisted assessment,
and inclusion. Topping has written 27 books and over 400 other
publications, including over 200 peer- reviewed journal papers.

Improving Reading
Comprehension of
Self-Chosen Books
Through Computer
Assessment and
Feedback
Best Practices from Research
Keith James Topping
Cover image: © Getty Images
First published 2023
by Routledge
605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158, USA
and by Routledge
4 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4RN, UK
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business.
© 2023 Keith James Topping
The right of Keith James Topping to be identified as author of this
work has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or
reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical,
or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including
photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval
system, without permission in writing from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks
or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and
explanation without intent to infringe.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
A catalog record for this title has been requested
ISBN: 978-1-032-10558-1 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-032-07620-1 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-003-21588-2 (ebk)
DOI: 10.4324/9781003215882
Access the Support Material: www.routledge.com/9781032105581
Typeset in Palatino
by SPi Technologies India Pvt Ltd (Straive)
The Electronic Bookshelf was developed in 1981 by a school
librarian named Rosalie Carter with her husband Jerry Carter. We
celebrate Rosalie and Jerry’s foresight. The Electronic Bookshelf
went on to become Reading Counts, used only in the USA.
Without any knowledge of this, in Wisconsin in 1984, Judi
Paul wanted her four children to love reading as much as she
did. So, Judi listed her favorite novels and to inspire her children
and ensure they were comprehending what they were reading,
she wrote multiple-choice questions about each book and created
a points system based on book difficulty and length. That was
the birth of Accelerated Reader (AR), which was later developed
by Terry Paul. Thirty-five years later, AR is used by over many
thousands of schools in over 100 countries around the world. We
celebrate Judi and Terry’s foresight.

Contents
Acknowledgements ............................................ ix
Executive Summary ............................................ x
1 Introduction .................................................................................1
2 What is Computer Assessment of Reading
Comprehension of Real Books? .............................................13
3 Disentangling Opinion and Fact ...........................................36
4 So, Does It Work? .....................................................................49
5 How to Implement for Increased Student Success ............98
6 How Have Schools Done with Implementation? .............105
7 Increasing Student Achievement in Elementary
and High School .....................................................................118
8 Improving Outcomes for Low- and High-Ability
Readers .....................................................................................129
9 Using Favorite Books as a Major Motivator ......................137
10 Encouraging Careful Reading of Non-Fiction Books ......143
11 Working Effectively with Spanish-Speaking,
Disadvantaged, Disabled or EFL Students ........................149
12 Electronic Reading and Out-of-School Reading ..............163
viii ◆ Contents
13 What Bang for Your Buck? The Importance of
Cost-Effectiveness ..................................................................170
14 Summary and Conclusions ...................................................181
Appendices
Appendix A: Implementation Quality Checklist ............197
Appendix B: Reports Authored by the Manufacturers .....200
Appendix C: How to Use This Book in a
Professional Development or Study Group ......................203
Subject Index. ................................................ 208
Author Index. ................................................ 211
Acknowledgements
My grateful thanks for giving permission to reproduce the screen-
shots in this book go to Renaissance Learning and Houghton
Mifflin Harcourt (HMH).
My grateful thanks for providing new information and data
go to:
Eric Stickney and Lindsay Haas (USA) and James Bell, Gareth
Andrews and John Moore (UK) of Renaissance Learning
Renee Behring (Education Research Director) and Francine
Alexander (Chief Research Officer) of HMH.
However, the analysis and interpretation of this information
and data are entirely my own.