Skip to main content
TrustRadius
Renaissance Accelerated Reader

Renaissance Accelerated Reader

Overview

What is Renaissance Accelerated Reader?

Renaissance Accelerated Reader® is designed to save educators time by empowering them with Learnalytics® to make differentiating independent and close reading practice effortless – all while maintaining the flexibility necessary to fit within existing classroom routines. Students are engaged in…

Read more
Recent Reviews

Great program

9 out of 10
April 09, 2024
In the school district that I work with we used Renaissance Accelerated Reader by empowering our student for the love of reading. It is …
Continue reading

TrustRadius Insights

Renaissance Accelerated Reader has a wide range of use cases in educational settings. Teachers and students across various grade levels …
Continue reading

AR Works!

10 out of 10
November 16, 2023
My school uses Renaissance Accelerated Reader 360 to help students learn to and love to read. It is perfect for providing a touch of …
Continue reading
Read all reviews

Awards

Products that are considered exceptional by their customers based on a variety of criteria win TrustRadius awards. Learn more about the types of TrustRadius awards to make the best purchase decision. More about TrustRadius Awards

Reviewer Pros & Cons

View all pros & cons
Return to navigation

Pricing

View all pricing
N/A
Unavailable

What is Renaissance Accelerated Reader?

Renaissance Accelerated Reader® is designed to save educators time by empowering them with Learnalytics® to make differentiating independent and close reading practice effortless – all while maintaining the flexibility necessary to fit within existing classroom routines. Students are engaged in…

Entry-level set up fee?

  • No setup fee

Offerings

  • Free Trial
  • Free/Freemium Version
  • Premium Consulting/Integration Services

Would you like us to let the vendor know that you want pricing?

111 people also want pricing

Alternatives Pricing

What is HireVue?

HireVue is a video, mobile and social recruiting platform.

What is iSpring Learn?

iSpring Learn is an LMS for automating corporate training and improving employee performance.The system aims to enable users without technical skills to launch eLearning in one day without training. To start training with the platform, administrators upload learning content, assign courses, and…

Return to navigation

Product Details

What is Renaissance Accelerated Reader?

Renaissance Accelerated Reader® is designed to save educators time by empowering them with Learnalytics® to make differentiating independent and close reading practice effortless – all while maintaining the flexibility necessary to fit within existing classroom routines. Students are engaged in reading self-selected authentic books and articles.

Short comprehension quizzes and built-in close reading practice activities, combined with automatic and educator feedback, keep students accountable for their learning. Dashboards and reporting provide users with the insights necessary to identify quickly which students need more support, which skills each student is ready to learn, and which resources will cultivate proven growth.

According to the vendor, key benefits include:

  • Students are nearly twice as likely to be college and career ready with they practice with Renaissance Accelerated Reader.
  • A strong research base of 178 scientific studies and review backs Renaissance Accelerated Reader, which ensures that you have scientifically sound practice and reliable data for instructional decisions.
  • The Council of Administrators of Special Education endorses Renaissance Accelerated Reader for improving outcomes for students with disabilities.

Renaissance Accelerated Reader Competitors

Renaissance Accelerated Reader Technical Details

Deployment TypesSoftware as a Service (SaaS), Cloud, or Web-Based
Operating SystemsUnspecified
Mobile ApplicationMobile Web

Frequently Asked Questions

ReadnQuiz, Whooo's Reading, and LightSail Education are common alternatives for Renaissance Accelerated Reader.

Reviewers rate Usability highest, with a score of 9.1.

The most common users of Renaissance Accelerated Reader are from Mid-sized Companies (51-1,000 employees).
Return to navigation

Comparisons

View all alternatives
Return to navigation

Reviews and Ratings

(84)

Community Insights

TrustRadius Insights are summaries of user sentiment data from TrustRadius reviews and, when necessary, 3rd-party data sources. Have feedback on this content? Let us know!

Renaissance Accelerated Reader has a wide range of use cases in educational settings. Teachers and students across various grade levels use the software to promote independent reading, improve reading skills, and track progress. With its comprehensive tracking features, Renaissance Accelerated Reader allows teachers to monitor student reading practice and growth, providing standardized data that can be shared with other support personnel. This data-driven approach helps identify specific areas of challenge for individual students and guides discussions about their progress.

In addition to fostering a love for reading, Renaissance Accelerated Reader motivates students to read independently by allowing them to earn points and incentives. The software offers a vast collection of books that students love, with new additions being made regularly. It is often used as a tool to ensure that students are reading appropriate and challenging materials while checking comprehension skills. By setting goals and holding students accountable for their comprehension, teachers can effectively differentiate instruction based on individual needs. The program's user-friendly interface empowers students to take ownership of their learning and continually grow and improve as readers. Overall, Renaissance Accelerated Reader has become an invaluable resource for motivating and engaging students while using data to guide their growth as readers.

Users have made several common recommendations for Renaissance Accelerated Reader based on their experiences.

One recommendation is to utilize the program for data-driven instruction. Many users have found that Renaissance Accelerated Reader provides valuable statistics and data for teachers. This allows them to align their lessons with student needs and track progress effectively. By using the program, teachers can make informed decisions about which skills to focus on and tailor instruction accordingly.

Another recommendation is to take advantage of time-saving features. Users have noted that Renaissance Accelerated Reader frees up time for instruction. The program's automated assessment and grading system eliminates the need for manual grading, enabling teachers to devote more time to teaching. This efficiency is particularly beneficial in a busy classroom environment where teachers often face constraints on time.

A third recommendation is to enhance student engagement and motivation. Several users have mentioned that Renaissance Accelerated Reader increases student excitement about reading. The program offers rewards and incentives such as badges and points that motivate students to read more books. This gamification aspect has proven effective in encouraging reluctant readers and promoting a positive reading culture in the classroom.

In addition to these recommendations, users also suggest joining the Renaissance Royals program for tips and support. This program provides educators with resources, professional development opportunities, and a community of fellow educators to exchange ideas and best practices.

Attribute Ratings

Reviews

(1-8 of 8)
Companies can't remove reviews or game the system. Here's why
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
My school system has continuously used Accelerated Reader (AR) to initially assess and monitor reading practice and progress. It is mainly used in grades K-5 presently and is dependent on individual classroom teachers. It is purchased for the entire school system. Teachers are encouraged to have data to assess students. AR helps teachers to have a well-researched computerized system to analyze current reading comprehension of materials chosen by the student. This provides standardized current data that can be shared with other support personnel (reading specialists, curriculum coordinators, media specialists).
  • Large selection of tests. This does not limit the students' choices of reading materials.
  • Computer assistance with setting goals for individual student/classroom.
  • Parent portal eases the communication process to parents.
  • Increase ways to improve reading comprehension for grades 6-12.
  • More read-to tests to support differentiated learning.
  • More training sessions for free for new and experienced users.
AR is well suited for many ELA scenarios. It is less appropriate when reading shorter nonfiction passages (science, for example). This would require group discussion, and immediate assessment after reading. This type of assessment is left to the classroom teachers since the reading material is so short (compared to the length of a chapter book or a novel). I wonder if AR could help with these types of passages.
February 12, 2020

Accelerated Reader 360

Kelsie Haggard | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Our whole school, though small, uses Accelerated Reader 360. We love the program and being able to see how well our students are paying attention to the books and stories being read. It is also a user-friendly service that helps teachers and parents watch the progress of their child/student. Our students are on the program every day and it is very user-friendly for them as well.
  • It tests students knowledge of books and how close they paid attention to the story.
  • It provides good data for how well a student is growing in their reading abilities.
  • It gives a good level of reading for our students and allows teachers to see what grade level they are close to.
  • I also love the recommendations of other books students could or should read next.
  • The quizzes test more details from a story versus the comprehension of the story.
Accelerated Reader is great for students of all grade levels and good for schools of all sizes from our small school to a much larger school.
Ami Edwards | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Most of our school uses Accelerated Reader. It is also used throughout our school district. My students enjoy using Accelerated Reader, and I believe it definitely helps with their reading progress and comprehension. It also provides good data for students who are having reading difficulties as well. You can look for patterns in their data.
  • Focus on comprehension.
  • It has a good variety of books available for testing.
  • Maybe more kid friendly motivators toward meeting goals.
It is very appropriate for the second graders that I teach. I think it might not be as well suited for older students (like middle school, etc). I don't think it would be as well suited for kindergarten students, but I think first grade and up would be a good fit.
October 07, 2019

Drop Everything and Read

Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
We use Accelerated Reader school-wide to assess student comprehension and to motivate/cultivate life long learners. We can measure growth and/or regression in the area of reading comprehension when monitored regularly.
  • Accelerated Reader gives immediate feedback.
  • It provides clear and concise instructions.
  • Accelerated Reader provides data to assist with instructional planning.
  • I would like to see a feature that will notify the building admin that a child has reached their reading certification.
  • I would like a feature that would generate a half size sheet of paper to include a student's username and password as well as their ZPD.
  • I would like the rollover rights from year to year be given to the building admin versus the district admin.
Accelerated Reader is best suited for grades 2nd - 5th. They are more independent. As noted, Accelerated Reader is a guided program. However, most schedules don't permit the time to guide students in kindergarten and first grade.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Renaissance Learning is widely used throughout the school system as a reliable indicator of reading comprehension through its STAR and AR tests. It has progressed thousands of readers to excellence and comprehension.
  • Real time progress monitoring of student reading comprehension.
  • Multiple reports detailing successes and areas of struggle.
  • Amazing customer service.
  • The price for schools to use AR and STAR, especially with budgets being cut, is very high.
AR is well suited in all educational environments. It can be used to improve the comprehension of the remedicat readers as well as continually push the high achievers.
Jason Eifling | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Our school/district uses Accelerated Reader. Generally, it is used by Language Arts teachers, but it does help track reading and reading comprehension. Students are given goals to strive for each grading period and strive to reach that goal. There are many pros and cons for using Accelerated Reader but our students have used it for years and I don't see it going away any time soon.
  • If used correctly, Accelerated Reader helps students grow with their reading comprehension and vocabulary skills. I advise teachers to have one on one conversations with students when setting goals (allow students to have input) so that the students are given more responsibility to achieve their own goals.
  • Renaissance's online chat/customer service is outstanding. They can usually answer my questions and do so in an understandable manner. They seem to be willing to help and will follow through if necessary.
  • There are many reports that Accelerated Reader administrators can use to help decipher the data created from their students taking Accelerated Reader quizzes.
  • Lately, Accelerated Reader has been adding "New Reports" which would help single class users such as a teacher with one class. But for a person with administrative rights, it creates a bit of a hassle to get the information needed at times.
  • Cost - Accelerated Reader is expensive. For the price paid, I feel Renaissance should include some features instead of having additional fees paid.
Accelerated Reader is what it is. It has been around for years and pretty much has a lock on this type of service. With that being said, Renaissance still makes improvements and works with the customer to make things better. If people use the product the way it is intended, results can be great. Yes, there is a danger that a product like this hurts the love of reading by "forcing" kids to read. *There are articles written about the positives and negatives of AR elsewhere if you look* But Accelerated Reader gathers plenty of data that can be used by educators to help their classrooms if they choose to use the product as intended.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
I am using Renaissance Accelerated Reader in my first and second grade classroom. AR 360 is also being used by all other classrooms--4K-5th grade--in our building. Renaissance Accelerated Reader keeps my students motivated and eager to read and improve their reading skills and strategies. Renaissance AR is the perfect fit when using the Reading Workshop Daily 5 model. Children in my classroom begin every day with reading to themselves, taking comprehension and vocabulary quizzes, and working toward their goal. I have found my students take ownership of their reading and learning and have become much more independent. They challenge themselves and each other to continually grow and improve.
  • Renaissance Accelerated Reader has great customer service support. They are clear, concise, and respond quickly. Their live chat support service is great.
  • Renaissance Accelerated Reader is constantly adding new quizzes to their data base. They keep current with the most popular books that children currently read. They also have quizzes for the timeless classics.
  • Renaissance Accelerated Reader has reports that provide data ranging from the number of words students have read to a students growth trajectory. This is helpful when planning lessons to work with children in small groups or independently.
  • Renaissance allows me the capability to see real time quizzing data. This allows for me to monitor students' progress while also working with other children. I am able to my time efficiently and effectively.
  • It was helpful--and quicker--when my students were able to log in to Accelerated Reader through the iPad app. Unfortunately, the app is not going to be supported. My students will still be able to use the iPad for quizzing and STAR assessments. It is just a couple of extra steps.
Renaissance Accelerated Reader 360 is easy to use. It helps build comprehension and expand vocabulary for my students. I love it for the accountability for the read-to-self rotation.
October 11, 2017

Renaissance

Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
We use STAR testing for math and reading in grades 5-8 and have found that it truly helps us identify those students that are struggling in those areas. This gives us the opportunity to focus some attention on those students and their weak areas before the STAAR test comes around for those kids, especially the 5th and 8th grades. Over the years, we have found that this program really helps us project who will be successful and those that need extra time and help before the state test rolls around.
  • Accurate correlation to state testing standards
  • Program is very user-friendly
  • Support staff is always available to answer questions
  • As an admin for our campus subscription, I would like to be able to see when and what adjustments teachers are making on student preferences.
  • I wish the lexile levels would reflect true lexiles from STAAR testing rather than reflect the ATOS.
It's a great tool for determining which students need intervention.
Return to navigation