Accelerated Reader's impact on student reading achievement has been debated in educational circles for some time. The effectiveness of this tool to motivate students and build reading comprehension depends on its usage and the training provided to teachers using it. In its training seminars, Renaissance Learning stresses that AR is to be used as a teaching tool for guided reading practice. It is never to be used punitively. In this article, the author discusses how AR can be an effective tool to encourage and bolster student reading. (Contains 1 footnote.)