What is a ZPD?

As the librarian,  one of the ways that I support your child's reading achievement is through a district program called Accelerated Reader. Within the next few weeks, students in grades 1-5 will be taking the Accelerated Reader STAR test. This online reading test will determine an individual student's reading range, otherwise known as their Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD).  Basically, the ZPD identifies a range of specific reading levels that a child should read in order to demonstrate continuous growth and success.

Here's an example: Kirsten is a second grader who just took the STAR test. Her ZPD is listed as 2.5 - 3.1.  This means that Kirsten should be reading books from a mid-year second grade level up to beginning third grade levels.  Books in this range include 2.5, 2.6, 2.7. 2.8, 2.9. 3.0, and 3.1. In education, we call these books "just right" because the levels are specific to Kirsten and will support her growth in fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Kirsten's teacher will continually conference with her to set weekly goals and to revise reading levels as needed.

Now you know what a ZPD is and won't be so confused when your child comes home and says that they have  one.  Rest assured that as the librarian, I will be here to guide students in finding the kinds of books that they want to read as just the right levels.  Click here  to find out what you can do as a parent to support your child's reading growth.  If you have children's books at home and want to know if they are AR, you can use Accelerated Reader BookFinder on your computer.  If you frequent the public library or purchase a lot of children's books, you might want to get an app called BookScanner by If Then Dev, LLC for $1.99. By simply scanning the barcode on the back of the book, you can find out the AR level, the point value, and the quiz number.

For general questions about AR at Dawson, please feel free to contact me. However, for AR questions specific to your child, please contact his/her teacher.