Each year, Renaissance releases a completely updated version of What Kids Are Reading (WKAR) to provide new insights on K–12 students’ reading habits. The 2022 version shows which print and digital books students are reading the most at each grade level. WKAR is much, much more than just a report. It's an interactive database of popular books that ELL teachers can use to create book lists for students, first by filtering by grade ranges and popularity by state. To create a custom report, users can filter by state, grade range, interest level, student gender, or reading level. The overall goal is to find young readers books that are not only at their level, but that they will enjoy reading.
WKAR features helpful book lists designed to help educators provide choices for students who may be struggling to find books they are interested in, and to help all students discover new titles that they might otherwise miss. Grade-Range Lists highlight how different literacy education looks as students move between ages, grades, and abilities, and focus on the specific skill sets that experts believe will support literacy growth and comprehension at each grade band.
The 2022 WKAR uses data from 4.5 million students in 22,749 US schools where students read 128 million books, revealing insights into students’ reading comprehension and the characteristics of what they choose to read. The report is uniquely illuminating because it draws from two Renaissance programs: Accelerated Reader, which records the books students are actually reading, not just buying or checking out from libraries, and myON, which provides students with instant access to thousands of digital titles for online or offline reading.
Formats/Platforms:
Online and PDF.
Primary URL
https://www.renaissance.com/wkar/
Problem solved:
For many students, finding pleasure in and truly connecting with reading must begin with finding some success—often their first success in reading. Some students are reluctant readers, not struggling ones, but the point is the same. Beyond sharing data on student reading, the WKAR’s goal has always been to celebrate books and to encourage students to read for pleasure, both in and out of school. The amount of reading that students do is a strong predictor of how much they’ll grow and achieve, and the likelihood they’ll be able to understand more complex texts later in school and in their careers. The WKAR helps students find books they want to read.
Grade/age range:
K–12
Core or supplemental?
It addresses supplemental reading material to motivate and enhance students’ reading practice.
Topic:
Literacy and wide independent reading.
Lesson time needed:
Creating a custom book list takes less than five minutes, and lists can be made in or out of the classroom.
Pricing model:
WKAR and online tools are free.
Additional services needed:
No additional services needed. Just Wi-Fi.
What makes WKAR unique?
Students, educators, and parents/guardians alike can create their own custom book lists for individual students and reading groups, based on what other kids are reading the most in their state or nationwide.
Characteristics:
This highly interactive PDF report breaks down top book lists by grade in easy-to-digest sections. The interactive report of popular books can be filtered by grade ranges and state. To create a custom report, users can filter by state, grade range, interest level, student gender, reading level, and more. All formats provide clear filters to apply to students’ own interests and needs.
Here's what users are saying:
“As a third-grade intervention teacher, I am constantly on the hunt for books to help motivate my students to read, and to increase the time they spend reading outside of school. I have discovered a fantastic resource to do just that—the What Kids Are Reading report.”
--Mary Brown, Reading Intervention Specialist, Duncan Falls Elementary School (OH)
“The more we expose students to a variety of texts, the more we connect with them about their thinking and, even more importantly, what motivates them to read. For educators, that’s where the What Kids Are Reading report fits in. For more than 10 years, this report has celebrated reading and been essential in giving educators a head start to ensuring the right books get into the right students’ hands.”
--Dr. Valerie Kropinack, Supervisor of Language Arts (K–8), Clifton Public School District, Clifton, NJ
“My work and passion for supporting the effective implementation of early literacy policies is to ensure that all students have the support needed to become skilled readers and to remove any barriers to experiencing the joy of reading. This is why I am excited to see that the first list in What Kids Are Reading: 2022 Edition is a list of decodable books that can be used to support our youngest learners as they begin their reading journey.”
--Dr. Kymyona Burk, Former State Literacy Director at the Mississippi Department of Education
