Grade Level Reading and Math Skills

[MomOfABunch]

Does anyone have a list of skills by grade level?

For example, reading at the 3rd grade level means what exactly? What are the skills and prerequisite skills needed to say that one is reading or doing math at grade level x?

Edited December 31, 2015 by MomOfABunch

[mysticmomma]

L

[MommytoFour]

This might help: http://www.worldbook.com/free-educational-resources/typical-course-of-study

[smfmommy]

You can get the Core Knowledge sequence for free online.  It lists the phonograms taught in the early grade levels but doesn't have examples of grade level reading.  It does show math as well.  Most libraries carry the What Your __ Grader Needs to Know which fleshes out the sequence.

 

Kathrine Stout has her books Maximum Math and Critical Conditioning (reading comprehension skills).  You can usually find them fairly cheap used.

 

 

[Lecka]

I did a lot to track reading, but it is vague.

 

I have read a general guideline that by end of 1st grade kids will be able to sound out words using the primary letter sound. Phonics instruction (ay, ey, ea, oi) as far as the sounds of the phonograms should be complete by the end of 2nd grade, and kids should be solid with sounding out any (non-crazy) 1-syllable word.

 

Then there is a guideline about how many syllables a child should be able to easily read. I think it is 2 syllables in 2nd grade, 3 syllables in 3rd grade, and 4 syllables in 4th grade. But, I could be off on that by a year.

 

Separately -- here is an "oral reading fluency" chart. http://www.readingrockets.org/article/fluency-norms-chart

 

Then, in general, through 2nd grade is learning more phonics (though learning about multi-syllable words, root words, etc., continues after 2nd grade). Third grade is consolidating earlier skills and building fluency. Fluency should be in 3rd grade. That is b/c through 3rd grade is "learning to read." Then in 4th grade and up, it is "reading to learn."

 

In 4th grade and up, unless there are still weak areas in decoding/fluency, then reading is much more about comprehension. Comprehension has two cornerstones, vocabulary and background knowledge. The complexity gets harder, the age-appropriateness (developmentally, interest-wise) of books increases, the expectations for vocabulary level and background level increase. You are expected to draw more conclusions as you read, and have less explicitly stated (in fiction). You are expected to be familiar with conventions of non-fiction writing to be easily able to read non-fiction.

 

So -- that is in general.

 

For Common Core ----- I have an impression that to be comfortably using Common Core materials, you need to read fluently in the 50th percentile. This is for 4th and up, b/c before 4th grade, there is not the expectation of "reading to learn." It is good when kids can do it, of course, but it is not like you are behind if you can't.

 

I have thought it is interesting -- how what I have listed as 1st grade expectations, which I have read from pretty current (I think guidelines) are commonly K expectations. But I don't think that fluent reading is then expected in 3rd. I think fluent reading is expected in 4th.

 

Of course ---- a lot of kids ARE reading fluently to "read to learn" in 3rd grade. But it is not what is "at grade level" in general, I think.

Edited January 3, 2016 by Lecka

[MomOfABunch]

Thanks for your input!

 

I'm dreaming of a step by step skill chart, complete with examples, so that one can easily tell what skills a child knows and what skills are still missing to be at x grade level. Like a placement test but more comprehensive. So if I find that my child has mastered 55% of 2nd grade skills, what do I do next, KWIM?

 

Does something like this exist that is available for parents?

[TracyP]

The closest I can come up with would be a standardized test. We are required to test so I give my kids the Terra Nova/CAT 6 every year. When I have wanted to know specifically how one of my kids is doing, I have corrected it myself. This can be beneficial because you quickly notice if there is a pattern to errors, which you won't see by only looking at the results.

 

So if you went this route, you could correct the test, taking note of which problems were wrong (examples) in each skill area. Once you get the results back, you would have a percentage comparison to same age peers. If the percentage in any area was lower than you liked, you could cross reference that against your notes on which types of problems your students struggles with. That is quite the rigmarole to go through, but I think it would give you the info you are looking for.

[Lecka]

I think in some areas, you want the skills to be able to support the learning.

 

A lot of school is just learning things..... it is not all "a skill, a skill, a skill." 

 

The skills enable and support the learning.

 

But the learning is the main part for a lot of things.

 

So -- I think, you don't want skill gaps, you don't want skills to not be at a point to allow learning (though for homeschooling -- your are individualizing anyway! so you are free to use materials at the best level for your student!). 

 

So, I think, to some extent -- you find out your child has 55% of the skills on the list for 2nd grade... so you think "okay, things are going well, she is learning at a good level, there are no skill gaps" and then you learn stuff.

 

If you SEE skill gaps or confusions, then I think that is the time to be concerned about it. 

 

But these tests are a LOT about making sure kids are not being left behind in class, and catching them up.  With individual instruction, do you need a test to tell you that?  Maybe not so much. 

 

As far as I know -- that is the value of tests like that. 

 

If you are concerned -- yes, it is something to think about. 

 

If you are using a curriculum, and you know how your child does with the curriculum ----- you have the answers already I think.  You have a sense.  You don't have so many kids that one might fall through the cracks.

 

That is kind-of how I look at it, at least.

 

There might be some more good reasons. 

 

You could also look for (maybe google) "scope and sequence" for things if you want a list of skills that are covered. 

 

I have only googled this for Barton reading and All About Spelling, but I assume it exists for other things.

 

But to some extent -- these are going to be based on Common Core if the curriculum is linked to Common Core. 

 

But I think -- it is probably not too big of a deal, unless you are concerned.

 

I think if you are not using a curriculum or curriculum guide, maybe that is an option, too.  You work through the curriculum, and you know they have learned the things, if they are learning the things.  If things are getting forgotten -- you see it, and maybe you go more spiral, or add in review. 

 

I think you see it, though ---- I don't think you necessarily need a test to tell you that, b/c you are probably aware of this stuff already to some extent. 

 

If you are not using a curriculum, you could look at one, maybe. 

 

To some extent -- I can look at things, and have a sense of how well my kids would do with them.  Some things maybe I have to check, b/c I don't have that sense for everything.  But for a lot of things I do have that sense. 

 

For the learning -- you are not going to get "what should we be learning" as far as content or topics or whatever, from a test, I don't think. 

 

Or -- you are taking a test tied to a certain content/topics, and then -- if you haven't covered that, then you haven't covered it. 

 

But a skills test I don't think would be like that.  But it is really important for kids who might be sitting in a classroom and falling behind b/c of a weak foundational skill or concept.  But then, maybe nobody knows, b/c the class moved on to the next chapter, and stuff. 

 

Edit: Just my perspective! 

Edited January 4, 2016 by Lecka

[MomOfABunch]

So -- I think, you don't want skill gaps, you don't want skills to not be at a point to allow learning (though for homeschooling -- your are individualizing anyway! so you are free to use materials at the best level for your student!). 

 

So, I think, to some extent -- you find out your child has 55% of the skills on the list for 2nd grade... so you think "okay, things are going well, she is learning at a good level, there are no skill gaps" and then you learn stuff.

 

As far as I know -- that is the value of tests like that. 

 

Yes, you nailed it.  This is what I'm looking for, the gaps.  

 

I've run into the problem of a student being stuck and not able to make progress.  I think it is because something foundational is lacking, but I can't figure out what it is.  This is not for one of my own children that I have taught from the beginning.  

 

I don't want to reinvent the wheel if a list/test already exists.

[MomOfABunch]

This might help: http://www.worldbook.com/free-educational-resources/typical-course-of-study

What a cool resource!