How to Pick Grade Level Books for Kids

Supplementing your child's reading material at home with grade level books is a great way to improve her reading. Understanding what she is reading and looking for books that challenge and reinforce what she knows will build her comprehension skills.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Accelerated Reader book list

1. Determine what your child's current reading level is by talking with his teacher. If this is the beginning of the school year, it may take a few weeks for the teacher to get levels on each child.

2. Get a copy of the Accelerated Reader list from your school or library. In this program, students read books at their current level and take quizzes on comprehension. If your school does not have this program, suggest it to your librarian or teacher.

3. Look in the children's department of your local library for books from the AR list, or have your child check them out at school.

4. Talk with your local librarian about your child's reading level and where to find books that match it.

5. Visit a bookstore to find leveled books. These books are usually kept together in sections. Look on the book spine for the suggested reading level.

6. Purchase reference books like Anita Silvey's, "100 Best Books for Children." In it, you will find titles, authors, ages and reading levels for a variety of books.

7. Have your child's reading level checked again mid-way through the school year. Adjust your selections accordingly. Your child's teacher should do this as a normal part of elementary classroom procedure. If she doesn't, request it.

Tips & Warnings

• If your child struggles with a particular book, put it aside and find something a little more comfortable. The goal is to keep them reading.

• Outside of school, your child should be reading about 30 minutes per day to improve reading fluency and comprehension. Adjust this down to about 15 minutes for younger children and increase the period as their reading improves.

Resources

• Renaissance Learning: Make Teaching Exciting and Learning Fun