How do you decide what level books to assign your child as part of school?

[rafiki]

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[i.love.lucy]

:lurk5: Interested in hearing what others do.

 

My dd will start a book that I urge her toward for free reading that she will then come and tell me is too hard for her. I try to find out "how" too hard it is, then I assign it for school reading! :tongue_smilie: She grumbles sometimes, but she knows she can go slower with it, and we can even "popcorn" read it (I read a page, then she reads a page) and she can get help with vocab or pronunciation. I feel like this stretches her. If we read a few pages together and I just can see she doesn't get it or just has too many of these looks: :confused:, then it will go back on the shelf to try again later. She always has lots of books at her level for free reading, it's just every now and then that we will run across one that she's either not as interested in (Island of the Blue Dolphins) or she thinks is too hard (Esperanza Rising) and so they become school books.

[eclecticmom]

I have children in 2nd and 4th. For readers I use a combination of approaches. Silent reading consists of books that contain no more than 3 words per page with which they struggle. I pick a little more challenging books for them to read aloud to me. Sometimes when they get tired we switch off reading so they don't get bogged down.

 

They should be allowed to read books that are way too easy for them with lots of pictures so they can feel super successful, read books that are at their reading level so they can cover content, and read challenging books so they can mature in their reading skills and comprehension.

[mollies73]

We have a lot of books at home. I have them color coded by grade level. They have to pick books from their grade level color, the one below, or the one above. If I were to see them picking too many from the lower color, I'd probably change this, but so far, they've picked an assortment from all three levels. If I see that it is the level below, we may use a Progeny Press or other more difficult companion resource with it. If it's at their reading level or above, I'm more likely to do a lapbook, a simple book report, or a more artistic project with it. I have to say, grade level is a hard thing to judge. I use scholastic to look for grade level, but some books that are a lower reading level have some more advanced concepts, or have some archaic language. So I think it's a little hard to really peg a book kwim?

[robsiew]

My way is really not scientific. I have my children read aloud to me every day so I can tell pretty well where they are at. I'm sure sometimes I underestimate their ability in the books I choose for them for independent reading. I'd rather underestimate for independent school reading than overestimate as I truly want it to be independent. For their reading with me I choose usually history or great literature reading that is just a bit above where they are independently. They read it aloud... sometimes we take turns reading, but mostly it's them. I usually pick something just beyond where they are to stretch them just a bit and let them know they really can do it! I find that even if my kids can decode many of the words, the classical literature is much more challenging theme wise. It helps to read it together.

 

For their "fun" reading I let them read anything they want. My dd HATES chapter books, although she can read them. It's difficult for me to watch her choose to read her 6 yo brother's readers, but she loves them. Every once in a while she'll pick up something at her level. I know it will come someday as she loves to read and eventually will get bored burning through 20 books a night! :-)

[Karen in CO]

For this age, I still don't assign reading. My dd is a voracious reader. If I want her to read something for content, then I will buddy read it with her . If I think it might be interesting but I'm not sure its the right level, I just leave it on the breakfast table. She has a terrible inability to put down a book. Once she starts reading, she needs to finish it, and she loves to read while she eats breakfast.

 

For my older ds when he was in middle school and high school, I'd set a reading list at the beginning of the year and schedule the books. I started with Sonlight as my first homeschooling thing so this way makes perfect sense to me. The Sonlight books were always a mixed bag of too easy, just right and questionable which is still how I plan my books. I have found that the Veritas booklists are generally the proper level for my dd if I go a grade or two ahead of her current grade which helps me to gauge the rest of the books I choose. I also judge the level of books to assign by the books she is currently choosing to read on her own. As my middle child moves into higher grades, I plan to assign more specific books to be read, but right now I am happy to let her free read mostly.

Edited February 14, 2010 by Karen in CO

[patchfire]

I try very hard to mix books - some below reading level, so easy for her to read; building speed and great for more detailed summaries; some at reading level; and some just above her comfort reading level. I am relentless about the last - I had too many years in school that everything was easy, and when I finally hit a challenge, it was very difficult to find the skills.

[iquilt]

Children should read at a variety of levels for various reasons. Easier to practice fluency, at level for comprehension, above level to expand vocabulary and practice new words, etc. I am pretty flexible about what levels the books are for all 3 of mine, mostly because we have a huge variety of choices at home (and of course the library helps out here, too) and they will cover many levels all by themselves. While a child is currently learning how to read they read the books on their current level according to OPG, but then they will also continue practice at an easier level to gain confidence and fluency. The higher level books are generally tried and returned to until they find them easier and easier. HTH

[razorbackmama]

What I did this year was this:

 

I took the different genres that are covered in Drawn Into the Heart of Reading and made a big list of books that would fall into those genres. I used different sources - DITHOR, Sonlight, some other book that I am COMPLETELY drawing a blank on the name LOL, etc.

 

Then I went through and tried to find the Lexiles of those books.

 

Then I chose books based on my dc's Lexile ranges.

 

They are required to read one chapter a day. I try to have them read about a page aloud to me once a week. I pull from the previous day's chapter for the passages for WWE.

 

My boys do not read outside of school, and my dd only does SOME. So if I did not assign books for them to read, they just wouldn't read at all. (Which I cannot relate to at ALL, but apparently they have their father's DNA.;) )

[Mom0012]

For my son, I've been doing my best to determine lexile levels and then I pick books in that range that I think he will like. Often, he is not initially interested in what I select but if I get him started by taking turns reading with him for the first chapter or 2, he will usually take off on his own with the rest of the book. This works particularly well if I can find a series I think he will like. He also reads the SL readers that go with our core, and those are very easy for him, so this always boosts his ego a little.

 

For my daughter, who is a strong reader, I just give her a bunch of options off our shelves and then she also reads the SL readers.

 

Lisa

[NYC]

A 2nd grade teacher pointed me to this site as a guide:

 

http://www.lexile.com/

[StartingOver]

I keep books out for the kids below level, on level, and slightly above level. Then they can pick and chose, and we will read together if need be.

[Rhondabee]

Because we try to write across the curriculum, I find that I have to limit extra history and science books either in reading level or quantity. We usually decide which that's gonna be once we get the books home from the library. (Obviously, this is within reason. I wouldn't give my 6th grader a book designed for K-2. But, upper elementary? Sure.) There are so many good books, it is hard to limit them. But time is an element I can't change - we only have so much.

 

But, I stretch them with literature. I use the WTM lists, which is the absolute best thing about WTM imo.

 

My kids are not natural readers - I even have to assign "free" reading - LOL! So, as with all things, ymmv.