jamotz Posted September 13, 2014 Share Posted September 13, 2014 I'm not sure if this is the right place to post, as I don't normally post here. I normally just lurk around :ph34r: My eldest son is 7 years old and in second grade. He's been reading since he was 4 years old and has always loved to read by himself. We aquired some Magic Treehouse books last year and he took some time to read through during his usual structured reading time. He still likes to read them, but can finish them within an hour. Is he going through these books too fast? Should I direct him toward something more challenging? I love how he adores this series and hasn't finished every single book yet, but I also want to make sure he is reading at his level. I also don't want to frustrate him with books that he can't fully comprehend, as I don't want to kill his love of books and reading! Any advice? Any other series he might like to check out? Thanks for reading :bigear: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted September 13, 2014 Share Posted September 13, 2014 MTH is pretty easy for a strong second grade reader. You can google the reading levels of each book. Try ARbookfind.com for example. I would let him finish the series if he is interested in doing so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamotz Posted September 13, 2014 Author Share Posted September 13, 2014 MTH is pretty easy for a strong second grade reader. You can google the reading levels of each book. Try ARbookfind.com for example. I would let him finish the series if he is interested in doing so. Thanks, I'll check that out. I am definitely going to let him finish the series since he loves it so much, but since he's going through them so fast I need some ideas on what to start next. I'll have to check out my local used bookstores and stock up :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeAndTheBoys Posted September 13, 2014 Share Posted September 13, 2014 I'm not sure if this is the right place to post, as I don't normally post here. I normally just lurk around :ph34r: My eldest son is 7 years old and in second grade. He's been reading since he was 4 years old and has always loved to read by himself. We aquired some Magic Treehouse books last year and he took some time to read through during his usual structured reading time. He still likes to read them, but can finish them within an hour. Is he going through these books too fast? Should I direct him toward something more challenging? I love how he adores this series and hasn't finished every single book yet, but I also want to make sure he is reading at his level. I also don't want to frustrate him with books that he can't fully comprehend, as I don't want to kill his love of books and reading! Any advice? Any other series he might like to check out? Thanks for reading :bigear: The Magic Treehouse starts out easy and the series gets harder--so if he likes to read them, i'd say to let him keep working through. My 10 year old can knock them out in under an hour but he enjoys them, so I still let him read them :) but I do assign some harder ones. I agree that you don't want to kill his love of reading-- Has he read Beverly Cleary books, Mouse and the Motorcycle and Ramona? My boys have liked those, and Louis Sachar's Wayside School books (3 in the series). Those might be a new direction to go-- B-- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FloridaLisa Posted September 13, 2014 Share Posted September 13, 2014 He's probably ready for meatier reading. He might still enjoy reading them on his own, but I'd assign something that's more on his reading level for his usual structured reading time. Have you seen the 1000 good books list? That's a great place to start. I also like looking through the Ambleside Online reading lists. My kids really enjoyed the Landmark series. These were written by various (really good) authors and that are on various reading levels, from 3rd grad - 5th. Since he's a strong reader and ahead of 2nd grade level, he's probably ready for some of them. You can find many in the library thought b/c they're older now, you may need to use Interlibrary loan. Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted September 13, 2014 Share Posted September 13, 2014 I also want to make sure he is reading at his level. Why? You have a 7 yo who likes reading. He's reading and comprehending these books, which are decent books. They're especially good for building reading fluency in part because they're a little easy and the plots are repetitive. Please don't micromanage his reading. There's no better way to kill a love of reading in a kid than to take away the book he's enjoying because it's "too easy" for him. Trust me, he'll resent you for it. And he might resent reading too. If you feel he additionally is up for more challenge, I would suggest adding in some slightly more difficult books such as Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle, Mr. Popper's Penguins, the Ramona books, etc. which are just the next step up. But adding something more challenging doesn't mean taking away or stopping him from reading books a little below his level. He's just seven! Most seven year olds are still reading MTH or Droon or A to Z Mysteries or whatever chapter book series they've latched on to. Don't feel like you need to rush them into middle grade novels until they're really ready. It's not hurting them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamotz Posted September 13, 2014 Author Share Posted September 13, 2014 Thank you all for your suggestions. I am definitely not going to "take away" his books lol. That's the furthest thing from what I was trying to convey. I was curious (since he is my oldest) what the next level would be because he is going through them so fast and I know he'll be done with the series soon and looking for more. He enjoys his reading time and I couldn't be more pleased about that! I would never want to 'micromanage' his love of reading. I am appreciative of the direction I've been given and will continue to research some of the series you all have generously listed. Thanks again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hellen Posted September 13, 2014 Share Posted September 13, 2014 Easy books are good for increasing fluency and thus speed. One summer my son spent his time reading eady books. I wondered if I should do something. A friend told tme to let him read whatever and I'm glad I listened. That was the summer he turned into a really fast reader. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted September 13, 2014 Share Posted September 13, 2014 I'm a big believer in "easy" books that teach content. "Easy" is often the most efficient way to deliver content and make it stick. I like the Cat in the Hat science books and give them to adults. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boscopup Posted September 14, 2014 Share Posted September 14, 2014 MTH books are mostly on a 2nd grade reading level. If your son has been reading since age 4, I'm sure he's reading well above a 2nd grade level. I agree with the book suggestions above. Find some 4th grade level "fun" books and see how he does with those. My 5 year old can read a MTH book in about an hour and a half. He loves the books, and right now his stamina isn't ready for a chapter book at his reading level. He did start reading a Warriors book (his choice!), but he only read one page and then found a bookmark. :lol: He's capable of reading short amounts at that level, but not a whole chapter. You might also find really good quality picture books that are around a 4th-5th grade reading level. They won't require the stamina of a longer chapter book. But yeah, at that age, my oldest (who was reading at a 4th grade level in first grade) enjoyed Mr. Popper's Penguins, Homer Price, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, various Beverly Cleary books, etc. And the MTH research guides are a little higher reading level than the regular books. So you might look into those for some history and science add-ons. My 5 year old is currently working his way through the Mummies and Pyramids research guide and really enjoying it. That one is a 3rd grade reading level, so only slightly more difficult than a regular MTH book. Again, for him, it's the stamina of reading a longer, harder book. One other place I used to get reading ideas for my oldest son was to look at the Sonlight read alouds for the early cores (A, B, C). Those books have little kid interest but higher reading levels. My history loving oldest son enjoyed reading Detectives in Togas in second grade (and he didn't at all remember me reading it out loud the year before :tongue_smilie:). That one is a little longer than some of the books I mentioned above. I'd probably start with the penguin book early on, as it's very short. Ease into longer books as he's ready. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted September 14, 2014 Share Posted September 14, 2014 MTH books are mostly on a 2nd grade reading level. If your son has been reading since age 4, I'm sure he's reading well above a 2nd grade level. I agree with the book suggestions above. Find some 4th grade level "fun" books and see how he does with those. I'm noticing something new lately, that is never talked about here. Students with excellent phonics and spelling skills, but difficulty with comprehension. I'm realizing that these students can stall out, and need easier books than their writing skills would suggest. There are some precocious little parrots, that are far ahead of their peers at 4, but start to actually fall behind as they approach middle school. I think it's important to watch what students choose for themselves. I think they often know their own levels. Also, students with vision problems will sometimes choose "easy" books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chepyl Posted September 14, 2014 Share Posted September 14, 2014 If he enjoys them, let him read them. Part of the goal of early reading is to build a love of books and reading. Use the scholastic book wizard to find some more hallenging books and have him try them. My son read te MTH books for a while, then got bored with the formula. I kept a variety of books around, so he tried a bunch. I gave in and let him read Diary or a Wimpy Kid. Then he picked up Call of the Wild and an abridged Moby Dick followed by the Hobbit - all on his own. I simply encouraged him to read what he found interesting. He now goes back and forth between challenging books and easy books. For enjoyment, most people want a book below their highest reading level. To develop speed and comprehension reading below is good. I push my sons reading level with McGuffey readers. He reads outloud to me at least 3 days a week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mathnerd Posted September 14, 2014 Share Posted September 14, 2014 Try adding these books to the mix. My 6 year old loves these as well: The Droon series (starts out easy and gets more complex) Flat Stanley series Odysssey series by Mary Pope Osborne The Wizard of Oz series All Roald Dahl book. Just encourage him to read other books as well as the MTH books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Korrale Posted September 15, 2014 Share Posted September 15, 2014 My son has just latched onto this books with a passion. Though the reading level is lower the content is not always. I encourage my son to read the non fiction Fact Tracker companion guides to each book. We then watch a show at the end of the week related to the books he read. And then we discuss the books in great detail. Your son might like to write a little book report or do an assignment about each subject. And as someone above mentioned, in the 20s the books increase in difficulty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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