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There will be nights when your child brings a book home from and this is the only homework assigned, with no pencil/paper assignment. The book must be returned so that your child can pick a new book to bring home. The book your child will bring home will either be a decodable or leveled book. Both beginning leveled readers and decodable serve the same purpose. They are training wheels. Beginning leveled readers and decodable books are to be used temporarily to get students reading  until they are  reading trade books.  Decodable readers focus more on using predictable sound-spelling patterns. This means that a good percentage of the words CAN be decoded or sounded out. Leveled books have many variables of where a book falls  on a text continuum or text gradient. Some of them include the genre of the book, the text structure, the content, and the sentence complexity found in the book among other variables.

Leveled readers, especially those in the beginning levels on the text gradient, have predictable sentence patterns.

  I do not discuss reading levels with the students in the classroom. It is not helpful for a child to compare his or reading levels with classmates. Instead, we talk about picking books that are a “Good-Fit” for our reading practice. Please keep in mind that if your  child brings home a leveled reader it will be your child’s independent or instructional reading level. By sending home books at an independent level, the children should feel confident in their reading skills and enjoy the text. It is appropriate for the text to be “EASY” for your child. Below is a description of the reading levels. Additionally, please keep in mind that reading one book at the same level may be easy and another book at the SAME level may prove difficult. Reading is an interactive process, so the difficulty or ease with which a particular reader can read a particular text depends in part on his or her prior knowledge related to the text and motivation for reading it. Readers will demonstrate higher reading levels in genres that are familiar to them. For example, your child may be more familiar and engaged with non-fiction text. There is good evidence for the benefits of reading texts both above and below one’s official reading level. Reading easier texts can help new readers gain fluency and confidence. Just like you may enjoy relaxing with a sweet love story! Additionally, reading growth occurs when students tackle more difficult texts. 

Please keep in mind that your child may bring the same book home more than once. Rereading helps the children develop a deeper understanding of what they have read. It also allows them to read with greater fluency and accuracy. 

Description of Reading Levels:

  1. Independent Reading Level- A student could read it alone with ease (e.g.home readers, recreational reading).

2. Instructional Reading Level- Challenging but manageable for the reader. This is the best level for learning new vocabulary (eg guided groups reading with the teacher).

3. Frustration Reading Level - Difficult text for the student to read. This is too hard for the reader. 

You can provide additional reading material for your child from Epic,Scholastic Book Clubs and of course our local library! **PLEASE NOTE THAT ON SOME NIGHTS YOUR CHILD’S ONLY HOMEWORK WILL BE TO READ.