Reading level of AAR 3

[FairProspects]

What approximate reading level is the beginning and ending of AAR 3? I know it is a different scope and sequence but I can't find anything on the AAR FAQ that indicates reading levels. I'm looking for fluency levels, not decoding. At the beginning of AAR 3 students can read Owl at Home type books and at the end they can read Geronimo Stilton? Something like that?

[hellen]

Deleted

[Meghann]

Following. I'd live to know the reading levels, as well. We are about 1/3 of the way into level 2 right now.

[jnaj]

Following also :)

[hellen]

I entered the story in readability-score.com. At first the story came in at a 4.1 reading level but on page 3 of 9 dialogue started which brought the reading level down. I ended up typing in the entire story. There are 513 words and it has a reading level of 2.2. The story starts out tough and gets way easier.

 

The last story is longer and I don't have the time to enter the whole thing. After 668 words the reading level is 3.4. The reading level will increase though because there isn't a lot of dialogue left. Part of the equation is words per sentence and dialogue sentences bring that way down. The syllables per word tend to go down in dialouge sentences as well.

 

I checked the website against two other books to make sure it lined up with Scholastic's reading level.

 

I still think a child could be easily reading at the fourth grade level after AAR 3 and I don't think fifth grade would be a big stretch. I have Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH next to me. It has a reading level of 5.8. There are some words a child ms y mot know by the end of AAR 3 but the reading level probably comes from those long sentences. That's reading stamina for a book like that but a picture book or nonfiction book with a high reading level could be easily accomplished.

[hellen]

As far as fluency levels I think that varies by child. I have one that is nearly finished with level 2. She was just reading a picture book at a 4.1 reading level. Her stamina for chapter books is smaller so she tends to either read just a chapter at a time or choose easier things. she can read Magic Tree House (2.2 reading level) in one sitting but Betsy and Tacy and Tib with a 3.9 reading level tires her out quickly.

 

This is my middle child I'm talking about. My eldest child improved his reading level and stamina with picture books. I don't know why some parents push chapter books so much. Picture books are more interesting than early readers. They are also less intimidating. Picking up a chapter book at the fourth grade level looks long and hard but a picture book at the same level can look fun and exciting. It won't take hours to get through and eyes can take a break from words by looking at pictures.

 

My eldest son took one summer to read easy for him chapter books. They were way way below his reading level. That was the summer his reading speed increased dramatically. He reads faster than my husband now and about as fast as me.

 

All reading is worthwhile at this stage. Every book improves some aspect of reading. Who knows what reading level your child will be at when doing level 3. The child's reading fluency will be determined by the reading done outside of the reading program.

[MerryAtHope]

I missed this. The scope and sequence is not grade-level oriented, which is why it's hard to pinpoint a grade level--the order of the words in AAR is not “grade-level†order.  As an example, here is a very simple online assessment.  A child completing AAR 1 would be able to read most of the words on the 1st grade list, about half of the 2nd grade list, and a third of the words on the 3rd and 4th grade lists.  There are even a couple of words on the 5th and 6th grade lists that they would have the skills to sound out, though they might not know their meaning yet.  Kids completing AAR 3 could read the 4.0 and almost all of the words on the 4.8 grade list, most of the 5th and 6th grade words, and a some of the 7th grade words. (If they did the challenge words throughout AAR 3, they are used to reading 2-5 syllable words such as armadillo, banquet, celebration, contraption, examination, education, government, paperweight, semicircle, wristwatch, spectacles, thermometer, etc...) Vocabulary level is going to play a role too, especially as they get into higher level words. Anyway, maybe that gives you a rough idea. 

 

At the end of Level 4, students have the phonics and word attack skills necessary to sound out high school level words, though they may not know the meaning of all higher level words.(Word attack skills include things like dividing words into syllables, making analogies to other words, sounding out the word with the accent on different word parts, recognizing affixes, etc…) 

 

BTW, I just heard today that L4 will be coming out the week of Sept. 8th. Here's a sneak peek.

Merry :-)