How do you determine reading levels?

[Sahamamama]

How do you find/determine your child's "reading level?"

[Doodle]

I used this test yesterday for Doodle. I think my results were accurate.

http://www.readingkey.com/demo/Files/tests/readinglevel/readingtest-m.html

[boscopup]

I look at books that my son can read and check the Scholastic Book Wizard to see what level they are.

 

I've also done online reading level tests, which are usually pretty accurate for him.

[jewel7123]

I used this test yesterday for Doodle. I think my results were accurate.

http://www.readingkey.com/demo/Files/tests/readinglevel/readingtest-m.html

 

Thanks! I just gave both of mine this test, and I'm pleased with the results. :001_smile:

 

Any other tests like this out there? (free)

[Sahamamama]

:lurk5::bigear:

[nikkid]

Thanks! I just gave both of mine this test, and I'm pleased with the results. :001_smile:

 

Any other tests like this out there? (free)

 

Sonlight has a very basic free reading level test. Doesn't test comprehension, only decoding/sounding out words basically, but it's a start.

http://www.sonlight.com/placement-tests.html

 

Nikki

[Farrar]

Elizabeth B's Phonics Page has a page with links to several different types of assessments:

http://www.thephonicspage.org/On%20Reading/readinggradeleve.html

[Kirch]

I look at books that my son can read and check the Scholastic Book Wizard to see what level they are.

 

I've also done online reading level tests, which are usually pretty accurate for him.

 

This is what I usually do.

[nrself]

Sonlight has a very basic free reading level test. Doesn't test comprehension, only decoding/sounding out words basically, but it's a start.

http://www.sonlight.com/placement-tests.html

 

Nikki

 

We tried this one - So how do the letters correspond to reading level? We got a G.

 

Thanks!

Nicole

[Mommy22alyns]

I used this test yesterday for Doodle. I think my results were accurate.

http://www.readingkey.com/demo/Files/tests/readinglevel/readingtest-m.html

 

 

Becca hit the ceiling on this one. :001_huh:

[go_go_gadget]

Becca hit the ceiling on this one. :001_huh:

 

Hmm, yeah, my six year-old was assessed as being at a sixth-grade reading level. Sure, he decode anything you put in front of him and he knows what most individual words mean, but that doesn't mean he has quite the comprehension or insight of a sixth-grader. So I suppose I'm unconvinced of the usefulness of tests like these. As much as I dislike the program itself, the Accelerated Reader List does at least rank books by complexity and length, which seems like a more discerning and productive system, if a system is needed.

[Mommy22alyns]

Hmm, yeah, my six year-old was assessed as being at a sixth-grade reading level. Sure, he decode anything you put in front of him and he knows what most individual words mean, but that doesn't mean he has quite the comprehension or insight of a sixth-grader. So I suppose I'm unconvinced of the usefulness of tests like these. As much as I dislike the program itself, the Accelerated Reader List does at least rank books by complexity and length, which seems like a more discerning and productive system, if a system is needed.

 

 

I do agree.

[meggie]

I used this test yesterday for Doodle. I think my results were accurate.

http://www.readingkey.com/demo/Files/tests/readinglevel/readingtest-m.html

I had Pigby do this one and he's on a third grade reading level:blink: I had been guessing he was on a first grade level. But I agree about his comprehension not being at a third grade level yet.

 

Does anyone know of a test for teenagers? A friend wants her high school sophomore daughter to take one

[jewel7123]

Hmm, yeah, my six year-old was assessed as being at a sixth-grade reading level. Sure, he decode anything you put in front of him and he knows what most individual words mean, but that doesn't mean he has quite the comprehension or insight of a sixth-grader. So I suppose I'm unconvinced of the usefulness of tests like these. As much as I dislike the program itself, the Accelerated Reader List does at least rank books by complexity and length, which seems like a more discerning and productive system, if a system is needed.

 

That's why I asked if there are more tests out there like this, to get a more accurate picture of a child's true reading level. Are there tests out there that test a child's comprehension and not just decoding?

Edited September 4, 2011 by jewel7123

[nikkid]

We tried this one - So how do the letters correspond to reading level? We got a G.

 

Thanks!

Nicole

 

Go to the main sonlight page, click on the browse by core tab. It gives you a range of grades and ages, or just go back to the browse by grade and the color that matches G on the core page is your grade level on the grade page.

Good luck!

Nikki

[veggiegal]

I've used the same reading assessment on my boys for a few years now, and it goes from K to high school. You can find the link for it here. You can read about our most recent experience with the assessment here. HTH.

It's not really an assessment, per se, but over at the lexile site, they have the "lexile map", which is a big PDF file. This file has example paragraphs at every hundred lexile scores, and the names of sample books at intermediate scores. If you are familiar enough to know the reading level of your student, this is another way to get a good feel for reading level, and more importantly, to be able to find other books at roughly the same level.

[ChandlerMom]

I think there's 2 issues:

1. decoding versus comprehension

2. speaking versus reading speed

 

For fun I gave my 8yo dd the MWIA assessment from a link given here. The second story has a Flesch-Kincaid Reading Level of 8.3. I had her first read it silently, then I asked her to tell me what it said (comprehension was great with lots of details) and then I had her read it out loud. Her reading speed out loud perfectly agreed with her speed on the DIBELS last year: 170 WPM. Trouble is, that's the max of her conversational speech rate. Her initial speed (reading silently) was 450 WPM.

 

BTW, as to content: I had to correct her pronunciation on 3 words (solemn, promotional, democratic) where she was close but just slightly off (she said soul-um instead of saul-um, and accented syllable off on the other two) and she didn't know the meaning of 2 words.

 

 

So if your kid reads fast, timing read-alouds isn't very accurate. But I don't know what to do with this info. I knew she was a fast reader, but not THAT fast. She must be decoding groups of words or skimming. Anyway, it's good to know there is such a disparity, because this also means she's probably unlikely to notice (trip) on words she doesn't know, so I probably need to keep on a solid vocal building program with her, right?

 

So, should we be testing both silent and read alouds? What do we do with kids who are maxing out the verbal side of the testing? How do I keep my advanced reader growing as a reader?

 

Thoughts?

[Sahamamama]

Hmm, yeah, my six year-old was assessed as being at a sixth-grade reading level. Sure, he decode anything you put in front of him and he knows what most individual words mean, but that doesn't mean he has quite the comprehension or insight of a sixth-grader. So I suppose I'm unconvinced of the usefulness of tests like these. As much as I dislike the program itself, the Accelerated Reader List does at least rank books by complexity and length, which seems like a more discerning and productive system, if a system is needed.

 

:iagree:Yes, my 6.5 year old tested out of that word list test, also. So that would put my first grader at a 6th or 7th grade reading level? She's high, I know it, but I don't know about that level.

 

When I plug in her book titles at Scholastic, it comes up with a lexile score or range. But how do you convert that into a "grade level?" This would be useful because most books at the library are listed and shelved according to grade level, not lexile ranking.

 

Anyway, it was just a curiosity of mine.

[Sahamamama]

I think there's 2 issues:

1. decoding versus comprehension

2. speaking versus reading speed

 

For fun I gave my 8yo dd the MWIA assessment from a link given here. The second story has a Flesch-Kincaid Reading Level of 8.3. I had her first read it silently, then I asked her to tell me what it said (comprehension was great with lots of details) and then I had her read it out loud. Her reading speed out loud perfectly agreed with her speed on the DIBELS last year: 170 WPM. Trouble is, that's the max of her conversational speech rate. Her initial speed (reading silently) was 450 WPM.

 

BTW, as to content: I had to correct her pronunciation on 3 words (solemn, promotional, democratic) where she was close but just slightly off (she said soul-um instead of saul-um, and accented syllable off on the other two) and she didn't know the meaning of 2 words.

 

 

So if your kid reads fast, timing read-alouds isn't very accurate. But I don't know what to do with this info. I knew she was a fast reader, but not THAT fast. She must be decoding groups of words or skimming. Anyway, it's good to know there is such a disparity, because this also means she's probably unlikely to notice (trip) on words she doesn't know, so I probably need to keep on a solid vocal building program with her, right?

 

So, should we be testing both silent and read alouds? What do we do with kids who are maxing out the verbal side of the testing? How do I keep my advanced reader growing as a reader?

 

Thoughts?

 

:iagree:I agree, and it's a good question! It is tough to know what to do with an early, avid, advanced reader -- for example a first grader who can pick up just about anything and read it aloud and well. What do we do with them? How do we know how they read when they read in their heads? How do we know if it is the same as how they read aloud, or if it's significantly different? And in need of work?

 

I do know that with this student, I think there is a benefit in having her read aloud to me, so we do that regularly. And she only needs to be guided once, then she retains the word -- pronunciation, meaning, spelling -- after one shot. I'm impressed, but sometimes at a loss as to how to move her along further, to make her reading ability even stronger as she matures. :bigear:

[Guest]

Hmm, yeah, my six year-old was assessed as being at a sixth-grade reading level. Sure, he decode anything you put in front of him and he knows what most individual words mean, but that doesn't mean he has quite the comprehension or insight of a sixth-grader. So I suppose I'm unconvinced of the usefulness of tests like these. As much as I dislike the program itself, the Accelerated Reader List does at least rank books by complexity and length, which seems like a more discerning and productive system, if a system is needed.

 

:iagree:with everything you said. This is where I am at also, which is why I don't bother with these tests anymore. My son tests off the charts also (on a couple we have tried in the past) but I don't find that as indicative of anything other than the fact that he knows his phonics well and has a rich vocabulary. I have not used Accelerated Reader as a program. I do not see the need for a reading program at this point. I also like the Accelerated Reader List though. It helps me find books at my son's level of comprehension or slightly lower (if he likes the title) and a little higher (to challenge him), while ensuring that the reading level is not overly easy for him. I am happy with that and he enjoys the books we pick and loves to read :).

 

The best way for a child to learn to read well is to read, read, read. I think we are the ones that stress too much about reading levels. Once they are not below what they should be, why bother? It seems to have turned more into a competition between us moms than anything else. Our kids don't care whether they are reading at a 6th or 9th or whatever level at the age of 6. They just want to enjoy what they read :D.

Edited September 18, 2011 by Guest