Usually I’m talking all content all the time! Today I’m taking a break from that to talk to you about how to determine if the books your child is reading are actually too hard!
Before Reading:
A great resource for checking the reading level of book is http://www.scholastic.com/bookwizard/. While not all books are listed there, it does have many popular titles. If your child is in Grade 3, his or her teacher may be able to tell you your child’s Guided Reading Level or DRA score. Many scholastic titles will list this level and you can use this to help guide your child’s book selection.
Continue to check vocabulary prior to reading by having your child turn to a random page and read. If there are five or more words that your child does not know, it is likely that this book is too hard. Make sure to ask your child the meaning of tricky words. Remember, pronunciation doesn’t always mean comprehension. Definitely still count words that your child can decipher, if the deciphering requires prompting from you or significant effort on their part. Imagine how much more slowly they would have to read to compensate for all of that work! Think of how their fluency will be affected and how the flow of the book will be more difficult to follow.
During and After Reading:
Check how your child is feeling about the book. Sometimes when adults recommend a book (especially based on their own childhood favorites or experiences) you may hear the following complaints: “It’s boring.” “I don’t like it.” Also, with a too challenging book a child may report that she has trouble paying attention to the story. Don’t despair! You can share these books with your child at a later date!
Teachers also spend time helping children recognize whether or not they’re understanding the story. You can check if your child is understanding by asking her to retell what she’s read in her own words. A reader who really understands will be able to give you a decent synopsis. Be wary if your child is quoting too much directly from the book (even if the book is not open). Some readers have excellent memories, and can give you sections verbatim without knowing what those sentences meant.
Understanding is more than just summarizing!
Summarizing or recalling details is one of the lower levels of understanding. Students should be able to make connections by comparing books to other books they’ve read. These connections should be on deeper levels rather than just on the surface. Students should be able to infer how characters are feeling even when the author doesn’t use the exact words for the emotions described. As students become more adept at understanding text they should be able to synthesize what they read and tell you about what lesson or idea the author is trying to communicate. They also should be able to recognize times when misconceptions they had were corrected. At the highest levels, students would be able to analyze the author’s use of literary techniques and their effectiveness. Frequent and consistent practice of these higher level thinking skills is critical to success in the classroom and on state tests.
Other Factors:
Peer Pressure – When it comes to reading peer pressure can actually be negative! I’m thrilled when students make recommendations to each other, but often students select books that are too hard for them based on what they know is popular or famous. This is especially true in cases where a movie about a book has been released. The Harry Potter series, Rick Riordan’s Lightning Thief Series and the Hunger Games series have all gained enormous publicity and fame. However they are often selected by readers who are not able to fully comprehend them or who are not prepared to deal with the content. Help your children stand up to this peer pressure by helping them make good choices for right now.
Pride – It can be really hard for an advanced reader to admit that a book is too hard. They are often proud of their achievements and rightfully so! It is important that parents and teachers stress the importance of being able to admit when a book is best saved for later. Like us, kids want to be successful and often they will stick with a too hard book because they can’t bear the alternative.
Reading for School vs. Reading for Fun
Sometimes your child’s teacher will recommend that your child read a book for entertainment rather than as their school selection. Often teachers come to this decision based on conversations with your child about the text and on our their experience with the books in question. Just because a book is not acceptable for in class or nightly school reading does not mean that your child cannot read it for fun. It is a sign that you may want to be available as a support for your child as they read the book and step in if you are seeing that the book is too challenging for home as well.
Books Will Always Be There!
I often try to remind my impatient readers that books will not go away. Just because a book is out of reach right now does not mean it will always be too hard. It will be right there on the shelf or in the library in a few months or in a few years. Waiting can be hard, but it is often worth it!
