Between These Pages

The Case of the April Fool’s Frogs by Nancy Star

I thought I’d get seasonal with this pick!  Plenty of time to still acquire frogs before the first of the month.  Just kidding.  PLEASE don’t get frogs for April Fools’ Day. No one will appreciate it, least of all the frogs.

The Calendar Club Mysteries are another series that comes in right at a Level M, so you’ve got something on hand to offer your reader who has already blown through the Jigsaw Jones series.

Calendar Club detectives Leon, Casey and Dottie see a poster advertising a look-alike contest at the April Fools’ Festival. The winner gets a gowk. Intrigued, they hope to discover what exactly a gowk is.  Instead, they find another poster advertising a gowk prize.  When they return to their clubhouse to think things over, they find even more gowk related clues, but no gowk.  They also find frogs.  As they continue their gowk hunt, more and more frogs appear, all over town.  More scavenger hunt than mystery, this is a cute read.  There are some bullies, but they are not particularly scary.

Age Recommendation: Grades 1-3.  At a Level M, it’s on Level for end of second grade and the beginning of third grade, but it is definitely a book that would be okay for younger children who are reading well above grade level.

Sex, Nudity, Dating – None.
Profanity – None.
Death, Violence and Gore – None.
Drugs, Alcohol and Smoking – None.
Frightening or Intense Things – None.

Parents, I get it now.  After nearly a month of trying to hunt down quality books at a Level M I fully understand the frustration many of you feel when trying to choose books at the correct reading level for your child.  I know that schools urge you to help your child read books that are just right for them and that they expect you to be a guide in this process.  And I know that the number of books that have been leveled by a professional organization pales in comparison to the number of books available to you at libraries and bookstores.  And now I also know that it can be close to impossible to nail down books that are verified as being at that reading level, much less books about diverse characters or interesting topics.

When I was in the classroom, only a small portion of my classroom library contained books with a reading level assigned to them.  My students were expected to browse the library, apply the skills they’d learned about how to select a book that they were both interested in and capable of reading.  Then I would approve their selection or we’d have a conversation about why I thought they might want to rethink their choice.

With younger children, first graders just learning to read, those reading levels are enormously important.  I have found that quite often a student who can read a Level D (for example) will well and truly struggle with almost every book in my library marked at a Level E, until that student is ready to move up.  But when you reach the world of chapter books, where the experts can’t even agree on a book’s reading level, the lines become far more fluid.

Maybe your Level M reader has just made the transition up to books like Magic Tree House and still gets a lot of enjoyment out of books that would be considered a Level M.  Maybe your reader is always striving or reaching and is almost ready for Level Nbooks.  Basically, each child is different and while reading levels are meant to provide a helpful framework and guide, they are doing no one a favor if they are pigeonholing readers into a tight set of books.  That’s not to say every reader can read every book, or that you should just jump from Magic Tree House straight to Harry Potter, it’s just to say that within a range, there should be flexibility, both on the part of the reader and on the part of those that have provided you with the reading level information.

The most important things to remember is that your child should be engaged, enjoying their books and comprehending what they’ve read.  In the classroom, I had the luxury of years of guinea pigs reading the books in my collection and reporting back on which ones were good or dull or too easy or too hard.  I didn’t overthink which books were Level M because I wasn’t dealing with a reading level.  I was dealing with children who would talk to me about their reading.  And through discussions with those children, I could tell whether the book they were reading was a good fit for them or whether it was too easy or too hard.  And the best thing was, most of the time, the children could tell that too!

So talk to your children, check for comprehension, familiarize yourself with what a book that is approximately a Level M looks like and then let go of your frustration at seeking out books that have been labeled as the exact right level.  Because my choice to try to locate books that had been verified as the right level rather than just using my professional experience and intuition was most definitely one that led to frustration.

I’ll be putting up a few more reviews of books I could find that were listed as a Level M (by someone, somewhere at least) and then at the end of the week, I’ll post a round-up of all the books on this blog which I think a Level M reader might be successful with and enjoy.  Some will probably be listed as Ls, some as Ns, but it will give you a far wider and more interesting selection that trying to stay inside that pre-approved box.

Hey everyone – in the past few weeks I’ve had a flat tire, needed to remove a wayward mouse from my kitchen and had an expert in to save my fridge from certain death.  But it was the loss of my computer that hurt the most.  I’ve got limited access to one right now, but I find I simply can’t type up blog posts on my phone.   I promise extra posts when I return to make up for the hiatus.  I’m going to do my best to get a new post up for Monday. Enjoy the warmer weather!

I’m reposting my thoughts on checking comprehension for beginning readers, as it may help you determine which books are just right for your child.  First and second grade students should be working on building these skills.  The goal is for students to be able to independently and reliably determine for themselves whether or not a book is a good fit. Always be open with your child about how you are evaluating a book and definitely encourage them to share with you how they know whether or not something works for them.

Originally posted on 01/09/2014.

Most of the time here at Between These Pages, I focus on the content of a book, sharing with you anything that I think parents and teachers should know about when making informed decisions regarding what is appropriate for children to read.  Today, I’m going to share some thoughts on picking just right books – the books that are at an appropriate reading level for your children.

Helping your reader select the right book can be one the biggest challenges out there, especially when your child isn’t reading the same things as everyone else. So how can you tell when a challenging book crosses over into too challenging? There are things you can do as a parent to help your child make the best possible choices.

Beginning Readers –

Some children have a natural facility with words. When they see a word, even one you consider very challenging, they can pronounce it with little hesitation. When reading aloud, they flow through the pages fluently. It is easy to assume that because the reading sounds terrific, that the student is successfully reading the book. But it is important to dig deeper! Exceptional pronunciation and identification of words is a valuable tool, but it is just one component of reading.

Before Reading:

Before reading, have your child check to see if they think the book will be just right.

1. Ask for predictions about what might happen in the story. Predictions should make some type of logical sense based on the illustrations, title, any additional text that is visible, as well as your child’s experience with that genre, author or type of character. Example: In making a prediction about Don’t Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late!, a child who has read Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! should make predictions that the pigeon will beg you to let him do something and that you’ll have to say “no” a lot.
   
2. Have your child try to read a page aloud to you. If there are more than 5 unknown words, this book is too hard!  Unknown words are words that either your child can’t read or can read but can’t understand.

During Reading:

1. Keep checking for those unknown words! If your child is stumbling so often that he is unsure of what is happening in the story, it may be time to put the book aside for later.
2. Ask questions about what is happening in the book. Students should be able to give you a summary in their own words. But true understanding will go beyond summarizing. Students should be able to make predictions about what they think will happen next. They will be able to make connections to other books or events happening in the world. Students should be able to pose questions about parts that confuse them or make them curious.

After reading:

Begin by having your child tell the story back to you (for advanced readers who are reading chapter books this can be done after each chapter or every few chapters).  During this discussion check for understanding, pay particular attention to warning signs that your child does not understand the book.

Signs that your child may not fully understand:

1. The child cannot retell the story or leaves out main events (especially watch  out for those who just retell the ending).
2. Your child refers to main characters as “him, her or it” rather than by the names used in the story.
3. Your child cannot give you more information if prompted or answer questions about the story.

Good readers often progress quickly, especially once in a formal education setting.  Just because a book is too hard now, doesn’t mean it will still be too hard in a month or two!  Remind your children that the book will be waiting for them when they are ready.  If a book is especially interesting and the content and plot are age appropriate, offer your services as a reading buddy!