And this happened…

What could be better on a Saturday morning than a book sale? A book sale at my church, more specifically a book sale at my church with lots and lots of children’s books!

This fun, Saturday morning treasure hunt made me think of how families can guide their kids in choosing the books with the best reading level for them.

BOOKS FOR LEARNING 

Books offer tremendous opportunities for learning, and books with the right reading level for the child allow for more independent exploration of a subject.

You can help your child choose books that are a good match for his reading level by checking the grade level of the book. Sometimes the grade level looks like this:

3.2

The number indicates grade and month. So a book with a 3.2 reading level would be written for a child reading at the third grade level, specifically the second month of third grade — October.

Remember that the child’s reading level may or may not be his grade in school. In fact, the child’s reading level may be above or even below her actual grade. This varies from child to child. The important thing in this category is to match a comfortable reading and learning level, not too easy and not too hard.

There are different ways to check a child’s reading level, varying from formal assessments to simply asking her to read a page or two from the book and asking questions to check for understanding.

BOOKS THAT REQUIRE SUPPORT

There are lots of reasons to choose a book that is a little too difficult in reading level. Perhaps it is required reading for a subject or a particular assignment. Perhaps it is a book that is in an area of special interest to the child.

Here are some ways to support the child who wants or needs to read something a little above her reading level.

• Read the book together.
• Choose a book with pictures or graphics that explain the concepts in the book.
• Consider an audio book format.

BOOKS FOR LEISURE READING 

As parents and teachers, we hope that sometimes, many times, kids will read for pleasure. Those are the times that the print word and the reader connect, without struggle, without a learning goal.

Books for leisure reading should be an a comfortable grade level for the child. Again, may or may not at her actual grade placement. The key thing to keep in mind is LEISURE reading — This is reading for fun, not for work.

May your Saturday be filled with books…

We’ve been exploring the topic of Great Books for Christian Kids for several weeks. You can check out the first post here.

CAROL