“My child is reading level ___. What do you recommend?” This
is a question I get as a Children’s Librarian that I dislike, but even worse
is: “My teacher won’t let me read that because it’s below my reading level.” A teacher
is telling a child not to read a book!
Why do I dislike these questions? It concentrates on the
mechanics of reading, but not the interest in reading. It is merely an
automated way for schools to measure reading, not a good way to find books
suitable for a particular child. Book leveling is not about the book, or the
story, or child appropriateness, or a child’s interest. Just to give you an
example, some of the smuttiest books out there are written at a fourth grade
level. Would I put such a book in a child’s hand who reads at that level? No
way! Or if a teen is struggling with reading, his/her reading level may be at
the second grade level, but that doesn’t mean they’ll be interested in stories
about second graders.
The Lexile company puts out levels, for example, and are
labeled for a 75% comprehension rate. That
means that kids who supposedly read at a particular level don’t understand a
quarter of what they’re reading! If I were reading a book that hard I’d get
frustrated and bored. Kids are the same way. Do we really want to teach kids
that reading is hard and boring? If you think something is hard and boring, do
you want to do it in your free time? I didn’t think so.
My working philosophy (backed up by research) is that kids
should read books they find interesting. If they find books and reading
interesting, they’ll do more of it. The more they read, the better they’ll get.
The better they get at reading, the better they’ll do on tests at school. Just
like in sports, the more they do it, the better they’ll get. The more fun they
have doing it, the more they’ll want to practice, whether it be throwing a
baseball or reading a book.
My job is to find a book that is just right for your child.
Yes, being able to read the words on the page is part of the equation. But the
most important part is putting a book in your child’s hands that they’ll be
excited to read. Come visit us at the library Information Desk, and let’s find
a “Just Right” book for your child.
So what do I love to hear instead? “I just finished this book. What
should I read next?”
-Kathy
