Sonlight - my barely dd8 just tested at level F!

[nikkid]

I've been eyeing the Readers program with Sonlight to provide stimulating reading level books for my dd8. So I had her take the online basic assessment this morning. I can't believe it! My just-finishing-up-2nd-grade dd8 could read up to level F!! I suspected she was at least at a 4th grade reading level, but level F online says it's for 5-8th graders (ages 10-13)! Now I know the content of the readers won't be age/maturity appropriate, but it's still makes me proud. :)

 

So what would you do? The highest level on Sonlight for 8yo is level D. Would you go with D or would you find something else that would be more at her reading level (yet still maturity appropriate)? Any other reading programs I should consider? I'm looking for something that tells me what books to have her read that build her level over the year, with some comprehension for each book, that I don't have to read cover to cover (would love to but lack of time).

 

(Note: Although I am tempted to try Sonlight science and find the readers and guides used, I don't think we'd be buying the whole core since I'm happy with the other programs we're using or about to start using.)

 

JUST ADDED: Guess I could have her start reading SOTW outloud to me and ask the comp questions from the activity book...she should be able to handle most of that. She also LOVES LOVES LOVES Narnia. We've already read the books outloud together, but she wouldn't mind reading them again on her own I think.

 

Thanks!

Nikki

Edited June 11, 2011 by nmbdoug

[Teaching_Three]

Congrats on your DD's success! I don't have any advice for you, but I was wondering where did she take this test? is it online?

[Dinsfamily]

Sonlight has a Grade 4-5 Readers package that would much more age appropriate. My ds reads at a 6th grade level and maxes out on that assessment but I would not let him loose on the equivalent readers at 7yo! He's reading through the Grade 3 readers and we are both very happy. He likes the stories and the books were too good to skip. He'll be starting the Grade 4-5 readers in a couple of months. I will add that there is a big difference between reading a reading a word and comprehending it. that assessment is a good guide for picking a core but not readers in many cases.

[StephanieZ]

Sonlight has a Grade 4-5 Readers package that would much more age appropriate.

 

:iagree:with the suggestion to look at the Gr 4-5 Reader package. It is the reader package that used to be called "2-Advanced" and is what my 8 yo used this year. It provides lots of great material. I haven't tested dd8 but she can easily read ANYTHING I put in her hands, including all the read alouds for her, for her Core 7 siblings, text books, etc. Nonetheless, I want to screen books carefully. . .

 

If you want to add more challenges, I'd look at children's classic literature where you'll find some nice challenges without sketchy content. Wind in the Willows, Peter Pan, etc. . .

 

For that matter (and although I love the SL readers), you can skip a "reader package" altogether IMHO and just pick books from the SL lists, WTM lists, and/or children's classics, etc. I don't think there is a need for a "reading" program for a child who is reading well ahead of grade level, so long as you keep the child READING good stuff. (And don't forget to read aloud, too!) My dd8 has always been reading ahead of her SL reading level, but I still enjoy the reader packages. . . and we just add OTHER books in between, plus sometimes she'll read a "read aloud" before I get to it, lol.

 

HTH

[nikkid]

Congrats on your DD's success! I don't have any advice for you, but I was wondering where did she take this test? is it online?

 

Here is the site.

Choose the quick assessment for a free analysis. Doesn't test comprehension, just pronunciation, so you have to gauge some of that yourself. But it's free.

Good luck!

[nikkid]

Sonlight has a Grade 4-5 Readers package that would much more age appropriate.

 

I was considering doing this already. Thanks for the confidence booster!

 

I will add that there is a big difference between reading a word and comprehending it. That assessment is a good guide for picking a core but not readers in many cases.

 

I agree. I don't think she totally understood the true meaning of the words, but I'm sure she'd have her own definitions ready to go if I asked her!;)

Right on the Sonlight site it says this is a word recognition test from San Diego State. So thanks for confirming my thoughts.

[nikkid]

For that matter (and although I love the SL readers), you can skip a "reader package" altogether IMHO and just pick books from the SL lists, WTM lists, and/or children's classics, etc. I don't think there is a need for a "reading" program for a child who is reading well ahead of grade level, so long as you keep the child READING good stuff. (And don't forget to read aloud, too!) My dd8 has always been reading ahead of her SL reading level, but I still enjoy the reader packages. . . and we just add OTHER books in between, plus sometimes she'll read a "read aloud" before I get to it, lol.

 

HTH

 

Totally sounds like my dd! She's sorting through the piles of library books before I can get to them...but it's all good because if I do get to it and say "here, read this I think you'll like it" it's like pulling teeth to get her to do it! She is a very independent soul!:D

 

I have seriously thought I could not use anything, but since my husband is a college teacher who is pro-classroom environment (part-time at least) and pro-multi-assessment to gauge comprehension, I think it would be wise for us. Plus, if it's "assigned" reading from a program with the list of pages to read each school day I think my dd will receive it better. And she does need to learn to do some things she's asked to do even if she doesn't want to. We have worked on that a lot this year--trying to be respectful of each other. (I obviously plan on still letting her have free reading time--can't stop her from doing that.)

 

Thanks to all for responding!

[Teaching_Three]

Here is the site.

Choose the quick assessment for a free analysis. Doesn't test comprehension, just pronunciation, so you have to gauge some of that yourself. But it's free.

Good luck!

 

Thank You :001_smile:.

[lovemykids]

Although my barely eight ds can test into level F, I am not having him do this core with his older siblings next year. I think a more appropriate level for an advanced third grader would be level D or even D+E, due to the content and nature of the reading material.

Good luck with whatever you decide. :)

[Penelope]

We did Core D (Am. History 1) this past year with an 8 yo third grader. His reading level was higher than the core books, but we used them and did the advanced readers (not really advanced content, just more of them). He learned a LOT of American History and I was very happy with them. I think that for content subjects, having the reading level be a little bit level is actually a good thing. If it is easy for them, they can more easily digest the content. I thought SL used to have an article about that being their philosophy.

 

To up his reading challenge we added classic literature that was more difficult. Another option is to have her read the read-alouds, also, but aloud to you so that you can still discuss them afterward. Sign of the Beaver and some of the others are about a 5th-6th grade level. Or you can replace a couple of the regular readers with the more difficult read alouds.

[Lisa in the UP of MI]

The last time I had my oldest take that test she could read all of the words through the highest level. She is just finishing first grade so she won't be reading the books for that grade level. I just find her books that she is interested in, books that would normally be read-alouds. She can read pretty much anything. She's currently reading Grimm's Fairy Tales and just finished The Secret Garden. Some other books that we own that she picks up often are: Fun With Nature, More Fun With Nature, and the series of short animal books by Thornton Burgess.

Edited June 11, 2011 by Lisa in the UP of MI

[hmschooling]

You could use Drawn Into the Heart of Reading with the 4/5 girl book pack. You can choose what order to do the books so could use the reading level given to order then that way. If those reading levels aren't challenging enough, there's a level 5/6 girl interest pack a well. I'd still do the workbook on her levelsue to the writing, etc. involved. Just up the books only. My excellerated reader has really blossomed using this program! We love it, and I love how simple it is to implement as well as the fact I don't have to pre read a single book!

[nikkid]

You could use Drawn Into the Heart of Reading with the 4/5 girl book pack. You can choose what order to do the books so could use the reading level given to order then that way. If those reading levels aren't challenging enough, there's a level 5/6 girl interest pack a well. I'd still do the workbook on her levelsue to the writing, etc. involved. Just up the books only. My excellerated reader has really blossomed using this program! We love it, and I love how simple it is to implement as well as the fact I don't have to pre read a single book!

 

I've hemmed and hawed (sp?) over DITHOR. My concern is it looks like I have to thumb through the pages of the books to select the number of pages to read per day. Did you find this time consuming? And aren't all the comp questions generic to the genre? How do you know if they answer correctly--is there a test guide? Otherwise, it seems like I'd have to pre-read to confirm the answers...but you said you didn't. Can you explain? If I've got it wrong then I think I might reconsider this program.

Thanks!

[SnMomof7]

Yay! The only thing to remember with Sonlight is that their cores are ranked with the ages based on emotional maturity and how ready those ages are for the content in the core, not only on reading level, so it is best to stick with a lower/more age-appropriate core and throw in the Grade 4/5 readers as others have suggested.

[hmschooling]

I've hemmed and hawed (sp?) over DITHOR. My concern is it looks like I have to thumb through the pages of the books to select the number of pages to read per day. Did you find this time consuming? And aren't all the comp questions generic to the genre? How do you know if they answer correctly--is there a test guide? Otherwise, it seems like I'd have to pre-read to confirm the answers...but you said you didn't. Can you explain? If I've got it wrong then I think I might reconsider this program.

Thanks!

 

It's very simple to do the pages....you just divide the total number by 5,10, or 15....you use one longer book for the full unit or 1 for 10 and 1 for 5. It takes just a couple minutes. Sometimes I just do it by chapter.

I don't find the questions generic, although you can use any book. You may call them generic, in that they will fit any book, but they are not shallow or vague whatsoever.

I know she is right b/c I listen to part of her reading through reading aloud. Also, if needed, she brings me the book with the page open to the right part and I can skim as we discuss. It's really quite simple, and I am a "lazy schooler" ;)

I find it SUPER simple to use, very solid in teaching literary elements, comprehension, and teaching the kids to analyze literature (most importantly, analyzing through the lens of the Bible)