Average reading level for 3rd grade

📚 Making Sense of Reading Levels plus booklists for every Grade

Books to Read • Mom Stuff

August 30, 2021

by Beth Gorden

Anyone else completely confused by reading levels? There are guided reading levels, Lexile numbers, and Book Levels like the library uses. I found this especially confusing when my kindergarten and grade 1 students were beginning to read. I assumed you just get a beginner reader, but guess what – it’s NOT that easy! Many beginner readers are actually for 3rd graders! YIKES! Don’t worry, I can explain reading levels, give you book recommendations by grade, and take all the work out of finding your child the best books to read by reading level!

Making Sense of Reading Levels

What Level Books should my Child be reading by Grade!

I think one needs a masters degree in nonsense to make sense of reading levels! Seriously there are 3 different systems used: Lexile, Book Level (like most libraries) and Guided Reading (Scholastic) that parents must try to understand. And if you google it, there isn’t much useful information out there either.

I even talked with my local librarian who gave me a lot of misinformation, ugh! So I did deeper research so I could pick out readers for my kids.

Reading levels by grade

I don’t claim to be an expert on reading levels by any means, but for all you confused parents here is some help from a mom that was just as confused as you are!

Note: All kids read at their own pace and this is just an average generalization. Please work on reading books at your child’s reading level. For kids who are great readers, they may be reading at books above their reading level.

Don’t miss our hugely popular family Monthly Stories for Kids

Kindergarten Reading Level

Kindergartners are just beginning to read using some basic sight words and decoding simple words. In the library look for books labeled 0.1 – 1.3. For those using the Scholastic Guided Reading level, look for A, B, or C. (That is 25-75 in Lexile ). Remember they need 30 minutes of daily reading; practice makes perfect!

50 Books for Kindergartners to Read by Themselves
45 Must Read Books for Kindergartners (Read Aloud)

First Grade Reading Level

1st Grade students are decoding more words, learning rule breaker rules, and adding more and more sight words. Through the course of the year they can be anywhere from a 1.0 – 1.9 for readers at the library. For those using Scholastic Guided Reading that is B-I or Lexile 50-275. Remember they need 30 minutes of daily reading; practice makes perfect!

100 Books for 1st Graders to Read Themselves
Favorite 1st Grade Read Aloud Picture Books
17+ 1st Grade Read Aloud Chapter Books you won’t want to miss!
Top 25 Chapter Book Series for 1st-3rd Grade

2nd Grade Reading Level

2nd Graders are reading well independently. Although they may start their year in advanced readers, most are ready for simple chapter books by the end of the year. Just like Kindergarten and 1st graders, they need lots of practice to continue advancing. Even though 2nd graders are reading well on their own, they still need time reading aloud to an adult who can help them correct pronunciation, flow, and check reading comprehension to ensure no issues creep up. At the library look for books labeled 1.6-2.9. Using a Guided Reading system look for H-M or 225-450 in Lexile.

Best 2nd Grade Reading List
2nd Grade Read Aloud Chapter Books
Top 25 Chapter Book Series for 1st-3rd Grade

3rd Grade Reading Level

3rd Graders are comfortable reading simple chapter books on their own. They continue to need lots of practice and time reading aloud as well. At the library look for books 2.2 – 3.9, Guided Reading level L-P, and Lexile 400-650.

3rd Grade Reading List

Top 25 Chapter Book Series for 1st-3rd Grade

4th-8th Grade Reading Level

Although at this point most kids are reading chapter books that are no longer labeled with a reading level, I wanted to give you some tools in case you feel the need to further assess what your child is reading.

4th Grade Book List – 3.3-5.5 Book Level, O-T Guided Reading, 600-850 Lexile
5th Grade Reading List – 5.0-7.4 Book Level, S-W Guided Reading, 800-1000 Lexile
6th Grade 6.7-8.6 Book Level, V-Y Guided Reading, 950-1050 Lexile
7th &8th Grade 8.0-9.0 Book Level, X-Z Guided Reading, 1035-1100 Lexile

Find out any Books Reading Level

You can find out any books reading level (Lexile, library Book Level, and Scholastic Guided Reading) by checking AR Book Finder.

Free Printable Reading Logs

Monthly Reading Log – this free printable has ‘traditional’ monthly themes
Bookshelf Free Printable Reading Logs – super cute and fun for kids of all ages!
Pencil Free Printable Reading Logs -print reading worksheet and color a pencil for each book you read
Frozen Free Printable Reading Logs – kids will have fun tracking their reading and the books they’ve read with this motivating free printable for kids of all ages
Princess Free Printable Reading Logs – students will have fun tracking their reading with these free printable reading logs

Super Hero Free Printable Reading Logs – using a favorite theme of kids will encourage kids to read
Cars Free Printable Book Logs – children will have fun tracking the books they’ve read with these clever free reading log
Summer Free Printable Reading Logs – students will be motivated to read this summer with these ideas
Reading Comprehension Bookmarks – this is a great tool for making sure kids are understanding what they are reading
Reading Levels by Grade – how to pick the right books for every reading level and tons of printable book lists too

Book Report Idea

Looking for other ways to help kids work on reading comprehension and summarizing a book they read? Try these free resources:

Handy Reading Comprehension Bookmarks (any book: fiction or non fiction)
Book Report Template
Book Report for Kids
Pizza Book Report Idea
Sandwich Book Report Idea
26 more clever Book Report Ideas
Library Scavenger Hunt – help kids learn to navigate a library, the Dewey decimal system, book genres, and so much more with this pack of free printable scavenger hunts for kids!
Bookshelf Reading Log – to help encourage kids to read!

Plus, here are some great ideas for Creating a Reading Nook where kids will want to curl up and read a book!

About the author

Beth Gorden

Beth Gorden is the creative multi-tasking creator of 123 Homeschool 4 Me. As a busy homeschooling mother of six, she strives to create hands-on learning activities and worksheets that kids will love to make learning FUN! She has created over 1 million pages of printables to help teach kids ABCs, science, English grammar, history, math, and so much more! Beth is also the creator of 2 additional sites with even more educational activities and FREE printables - www.kindergartenworksheetsandgames.com and www.preschoolplayandlearn.com

What Reading Level Should a Third Grader Be At? – Making English Fun

Reading Levels are most commonly used to find the instructional and independent reading levels of students. For 3rd grade reading levels this will enable teachers, parents and students to choose appropriate reading literature.

If the reading level of the book is in this ”goldilocks” zone then it will help students practice and develop reading skills that are just challenging enough. Too easy it becomes boring, and too difficult it becomes frustrating.

For third grade students this is a huge step forward. To do this, it is important to gauge at what reading level the student is performing and to do that you have to assess what their 3rd grade reading levels are.

Third grade reading levels commonly range from 12 to 25 on R.R. and PM Benchmarks. Higher levels in this range means that they are nearing the top of the class, but lower levels should not cause any issues at this stage. Guided reading and levelled books will help 3rd graders improve their reading skills.

Reading at appropriate levels is especially important in grade three English lessons. Students at this age and development stage are starting to read for fun and enjoyment, they are starting to choose their own interests.

Although there is still plenty to learn in English, they will be starting to master phonics and pronunciation rules at this stage and focus will be on reading comprehension and reading to learn. ( if a high enough level has been achieved)

This what reading level should a third grader be at article will also cover the following information:

Targeted information on reading levels and how you as parents and teachers can help your students by having knowledge of them
Tips and advice to help your 3rd grade students develop to the best of their abilities.
Some of the grammar, Phonics and other English Topics that a 3rd grader will learn in reading lessons.
Links to our Reading resources, for 3rd grade and others.
Advice for both teacher and parents on 3rd grade reading levels

We have a selection of reading resources in the link below if you want to get stuck in. These range from grade 2 up to grade 4 and loads of phonics resources as well – and are printable with comprehension questions included

There are free versions of these on the site as well however the bundle is a better option!

Why Are Reading Levels Important

Reading levels in English are an excellent way for teachers, parents to provide differentiated instruction and resources that target a students strengths and areas for improvement. They provide a individual leveled starting point to challenge but not frustrate students English progress.

Reading levels allow teachers and parents to implement the following:

Develop Reading schemes such as guided reading, reading groups, buddy reading etc
Target individual students needs (differentiated learning)
Target areas for further practice, and reading skills that need reinforcing
Provide self learning and reading opportunities by having leveled reading resources in the home and classrooms.
Develop a reading awareness for students. allowing them to choose their own materials, at their own reading levels.
Increase confidence in students as they see their needs being met and being taught at instructional rather than frustration levels of English.

In third grade reading levels start to play an increasing level of importance. Students at this age will be starting to progress at different speeds, even more pronounced that in grade 2. This has the potential to create large differences in abilities and reading levels in classrooms.

Being able to address those differences in an effective, time saving and thought out manner is going to have a knock on effect on more than just grades. Classroom management should become easier as students are given reading materials and tasks appropriate to them and their needs and requirements.

Although the holistic benefits of both knowing and incorporating reading levels in to lessons are many. In todays educational environments grades and results are of course still vitally important.

Just to show some examples of this, rather than just tell you about it. I have a REAL leveling information sheet for a 3rd grade class below. This shows their reading level at the beginning of the year and their reading level at the end of the year.

You can click on the image to make it larger…. I have changed their names for privacy. (I did have some strange names in my classes but I never had anyone named strawberry 😉 … I did however have a shark boy!

You can see, even with just a cursory glance, the huge improvements this 3rd grade class made throughout the school year. Even if they were among lower level readers at the beginning they improved dramatically buy the end of the year.

The higher levels may have less dramatic ( but still impressive) improvement mainly as their general English lessons are not challenging enough, but also the higher the level of English the slower, relatively speaking, the progress.

What are the Different Leveled Reading Programmes

There are numerous different leveled reading programs that although using different grading systems, all follow a simple enough premise. Books, and reading material, in all systems are written with increasing difficulty, word count and phonics as each level progresses.

We have included an image below ( from REAL) of some of the levelled reading systems and how they compare to each other ( to help with book purchases if needed).

Many Guided reading publishers have developed their own systems as well.

Scholastic Guided Level Reading Program
CCSS Lexile Recommendations
DRA Level
PM Benchmark

What 3rd Graders Learn Throughout the Year.

As we mentioned above a third grader can be reading from about reading level 12 to level 25. However please don’t worry if your students or children are below this, or be to confident if they are above this.

Children will develop in their own time, and though we can help and guide them we should not push them to the point where learning , reading or any other activity becomes a chore. Keep reading fun, directed and instructional and your children and students will progress just fine.

We have a table below highlighting what the reading aims are for Grade 3. However, the TLDR version is simple: Keep them interested, develop a culture of reading, and concentrate on discovering any gaps in knowledge with levelled reading so you can target these issues.

The next section covers what skills they will learn to help them improve their reading levels through out the third grade.

Note: All children develop at very different speeds, and different learning environments will have an impact. If English is a second language, or if there is little exposure to English, or if English is seldom used outside the classroom, all will play a part.

Be assured that if you can get your hands on a levelling set or download one and get an idea of the approximate levels of your children or students, you will be able to cater for the needs in a way that is accessible and instructional to their correct levels!

Targeting in this way will help that development progress much quicker, especially in third grade when they are learning and exploring their own interests. Provide them will leveled materials and this becomes much more effective.

What Reading Skills They Will Learn in Third Grade

We mentioned in our What level should a second grader be at article, that as students get older then emphasis shifts from learning to read to reading to learn and comprehension, and higher order / critical skills start to come in to play.

In third grade, for the more advanced students especially, but for all students if in a native classroom, these higher order and critical thinking skills can be incorporated and introduced into lessons and levelled reading sessions where appropriate.

These critical thinking and reading skills are cross curricular and are so important to their future learning, yet almost criminally overlooked in the day to day bustle of classrooms. We have a workbook designed solely to help develop these skills which you can check out on the link below.

Another skill that is taught in third grade, or even earlier if feasible is the ability to judge which books are suitable for them and their reading level. This becomes more important in third grade as they learn where their interests are start to seek out reading material for themselves. It helps them judge which books are too easy and which are too difficult.

Skills Learned	Resources to Help
Read for fun and improve fluency	Reading Grade Three Leveled Texts Set 2 and set 3
Development of their own reading skills, and become more aware how to use them with less prompting.	Using Syllables and Y as a Vowel Worksheets
Stronger command of phonics, and phonetic patterns	Vowel Digraph Worksheets
Recognition of syllables, and multiple syllable words	Using Syllables
Be familiar with different text types, fiction, non fiction, poetry etc.	Simple Poetry Reading
Start to develop critical thinking skills that can be applied to reading and in wider contexts	Reading Skills Workbook

In third grade Vowels taking the form of digraph and diphthongs will be formally taught and words in 3rd grade reading material will increasingly contain them.

Longer and more complex words will be introduced with multiple syllables are in 3rd grade reading level material.

Tenses and the grammar surrounding tenses will have been introduced in the later stages of grade 2. In grade three there will be an introduction to the other tenses. We have worksheets for Future, Present and Past here for free download.

Sentences and constructing more complex sentences will become more important in 3rd grade reading levels. Reading materials will include more complex versions and teachers and parents can use reading levels to gain appropriate levels of text for their students and children.

We have some on the site for free, and in addition we also have sentence making and sentence scramble worksheets as well (link)

However some of the best ways to engage 3nd grade readers is through online games. By this time they will have become aware of tablets and phones being help in parents and siblings hands. Leveled books are one way to improve 3rd grade reading levels but its not the only tool in the box.

We have articles on some of the best online games, and have a page that has all the ones we make as well. These are free to play and very popular and certainly add motivation to your lessons! They are suitable across a wide ranger of reading levels.

What Can Teachers Do To Improve 3rd Grade Reading Levels

Teachers can improve 3rd grade reading levels by creating a love of reading in classrooms and place great emphasis in reading both in formal lessons but also in free time.

Have a selection of levelled reading material suitable for 3rd graders covering fiction and NON fiction texts.
Make sure there is a mix of text types and text subjects. So that many interests are covered
Try to have a corner in the classroom for quiet reading, to be used at recess and during lessons / station activities.
Mix up ways of presenting resources, online games, worksheets readers etc.
Ask 3rd grade students to explore the deeper meanings of stories, the feelings and empathy they may have. Ask them what they would do, or why they think characters act the way they do.
Display reading strategies and phonics strategies on walls for students to reference. ( also put in their day books or on desks)
Introduce or develop 3rd grader knowledge of higher reading comprehension skills ( we have resources for this here)
Run Guided reading lessons. (you can get information on this here)

What Language Will 3rd Grade Reading Level Books Contain?

Third grade reading level book, especially at the higher end of the lvels, will start to catian much more complext lanague.

Language contained in reading resources will move from two syllables maximum to 3 and 4 syllable words in reading books of this level. Topics will become more complex, and use of adjectives will be more detailed.
Synonyms will be commonly used and prefixes / suffixes and reported speech will also be more regularly sighted.
There will be a mix of fiction and non fiction, and the comprehension questions will become more detailed.
There will be the eliciting of opinion with answers. there will be less ”what color is the ball and more how do you think they feel type questions in 3rd grade.
The important thing, and often forgot, is that the levels of the books remain the same. It may be that a first, second or third grader is reading them. There are not set books for different grades, there are books for different reading levels.

Our reading materials include 3 to 5 questions to help with this. These can be asked verbally or they can complete them as a worksheet post reading.

Quick Tips to help Reading in 3rd grade

This is taken from our Reading for first grade article but applies across all grades.

Break down every word into individual letters. If there’s a combination (sh, th, ough), separate it into its own chunk. This starts to introduce syllables to students.
Focus on words that they already know how to say. If they’re familiar with the word, they’ll be able to use contextual clues to figure out how to read it.
Don’t study for too long. Short 15-minute study sessions hold their interest long enough to prevent reading from becoming a boring chore. Little and often is better.
Use the resources from school and online to supplement these skills. you can access using the following links the 1000s of reading resources on our site for free and premium downloads.

How Can Parents Help Their Second Grader Develop a Love for Reading?

Parents, especially at first and second grade, play a vital role in helping your child become interested in reading. Story telling, appropriate reading resources and books in the house will all help.

In third grade your little reader will be becoming more independent, they grow up so quickly, so allowing them time to read independently and for enjoyment is one of the best things you can do.
Not every book needs teaching, not everything is a teachable moment, sometimes we all just need a little time to enjoy a good book

Here’s a list of ways that you can help your third grader develop a love for reading: It is similar to the second and first grade advice:

The books may change but the mechanics of reading levelled books do not.

Find reading material that they’re interested in. For example, if they love dinosaurs or space , choose those books over anything else. Also allow them to choose as well. It’s not the concept that matters; It’s the words found throughout the reading that makes a big difference. We have some leveled reading material aimed at young learners here. However sites like Starfall offer online stories that may help as well.
Offer incentives for their reading. Although the aim is to have them choose to read for fun all things start slowly and build momentum. If you can associate reading with enjoyment and reward (extrinsic in the first place) then they will start to enjoy reading and learning for its own merits. Stickers, days out, pencils all work well here.
Picture books can keep your child’s interest . If you stop reading after 15 to 20 minutes, they’ll be begging to jump back into the material. Its great bonding time as well. Having book quizzes you have read together is a great motivator for third grader as well.
Use alternative texts, screen magazines etc. Children can be introduced to different text types to show there are reading opportunities everywhere. Even subtitles on their favorite movies with each of you doing a voice is a great reading activity.
Ask what your children are covering in school. If you ask their teachers they will be happy to share and offer advice on how to help your third grader progress as well as they can.
Take a look at using online games to diversify how you introduce learning and reading.
Lead by example, find some time each day to sit down with a book and just read, your child will learn by watching.

Children are always seeking out new opportunities to learn. Parents can simply guide them to make sure there is a little structure to their learning.

Let them choose their books but discuss with the school which level your children are to make sure it is useful for motivation for sure, but also that it is of a level where they ca understand most of it.

Using their interests to guide their reading means they are learning about topics they like and improving their reading. As they progress so with their reading levels, providing you have started them at a reasonable 3rd grade reading level book.

Finally

We have covered the average 3rd grade reading levels in native classrooms, of course there will be some difference in ESL or other classrooms. They key takeaway from all of this is that children will progress at their own speed. you can help them on their reading journey but you shouldn’t force them.

Make sure they have access to reading materials at their level, encourage them to put into use their phonics skills and comprehension skills they have learn in previous years and aim at their interests.

If you manage to achieve these things above then their ability and interest levels will only go up as they read more and more.

Reading should be a joy not a chore.

Here’s a quick recap of the post:

3rd grade reading levels typically fall between a 12 to 25 reading level.
Focus on reading for fun, comprehension skills and appropriate levelled reading material.
Follow their interests and start to let them recognize text difficultly. Taking ownership allows them to develop their own good reading habits.
Use additional resources and activities to engage and inspire them

Sources

Scholastic – Learn About Leveled Reading
Reading A to Z – Levelled Books
Amazon Second Grade Reading.

Hi I’m Marc. A teacher of over 15 years, English, General Studies and Outdoor Education. Thought it was about time to sharing both what I have learnt during that time and the resources I have put together. On this site we aim to teach the theory and share our thoughts, but also go that one step further and give you access to the hard resources you need for your class or for you children

Making English Fun!

I have been a teacher of English for over 15 years, in that time i made hundreds and thousands of resources and learnt so much i think its worth sharing. Hopefully to help teachers and parents around the world.

Reading technique. Norms 1-4 class.

Since many parents stubbornly refuse to understand what is the point of testing reading technique in elementary school (grades 1-4), I give up and publish reading norms. At the same time, I ask you to carefully read not only the quantitative norm of words per minute, but also my explanations both in the table and below it.

Reading Speed Standards Grade 1-4
→ Number of words may vary slightly depending on curriculum. Increased rates are given in parentheses.
→ Grade 1: no mark given, student “passed” or “failed”. In the first half of the year, the reading technique may not be carried out.

Grade

at the end of the first half of the year

at the end of the second half of the year

1 class
at least 10 - 15 (20 - 25) wpm 2 -> less than 15 (25) wpm
by 3 -> 15-19 (25-34) words
by 4 -> 20-24 (35-40) words
by 5 -> from 25 (41) words

2 cl.
by 2 -> less than 25 (40) words per minute
by 3 -> 25-29 (40-48) words
by 4 -> 30-34 (49-54) words
by 5 -> from 35 ( 55) words 2 -> less than 40 (50) words per minute
3 -> 40-44 (50-58) words
4 words -> 45-49(59-64) words
by 5 -> from 50 (65) words

3 cl.
by 2 -> less than 40 (55) words per minute
by 3 -> 40-49 (55-64) words
by 4 -> 50-59 (65-69) words
by 5 -> from 60 (70) ) words by 2 -> less than 65 (70) words per minute
by 3 -> 65-69 (70-79) words
by 4 -> 70-74 (80-84) words
by 5 -> from 75 (85) ) words

4 class
by 2 -> less than 65 (85) words per minute
by 3 -> 65-74 (85-99) words
by 4 -> 75-84 (100-114) words
by 5 -> from 85 (115) ) words by 2 -> less than 70 (100) words per minute
by 3 -> 70-88 (100-115) words
by 4 -> 89-94 (116-124) words
by 5 -> from 95 (125) words

Other reading parameters 1-4 class

Grade

at the end of the first half of the year

at the end of the second half of the year

1 class
Conscious, correct reading, simple words are read as a word. Words with a complex syllabic structure can be read syllable by syllable.

2 cl.
Reading consciously, correctly, in whole words. Compliance with logical stresses. Words of a complex syllabic structure can be read syllable by syllable. Reading consciously, correctly, in whole words. With observance of logical stresses, pauses and intonations. Syllabic reading is undesirable.

3 cl.
Reading consciously, correctly, in whole words. With observance of pauses and intonations, through which the student expresses understanding of the meaning of what is being read. Reading consciously, correctly, in whole words. With observance of pauses and intonations, through which the student expresses understanding of the meaning of what is being read.

4 cl.
Reading consciously, correctly, in whole words. With observance of pauses and intonations, through which the student expresses an understanding of the meaning of what is read, and his attitude to the content of what is read. Reading consciously, correctly, in whole words. With observance of pauses and intonations, through which the student expresses an understanding of the meaning of what is read, and his attitude to the content of what is read.

Criteria when setting an assessment for reading technique:
- Reading by syllables or word completely,

- the presence of errors when reading,

- number of words per minute,

- expressiveness,

- awareness.

can be clicked to enlarge

As you can see, the number of words read is not decisive.

That is, parents need to understand that such a concept as reading speed is only one of the criteria for determining the level of reading technology . way of reading is checked : the child reads by syllables or the word is read by him smoothly, in its entirety. It is mandatory to check reading comprehension , in other words, whether the student understands what he has read or not. To do this, after reading, a question can be asked about the text, most often “What did you just read about?” and requires a simple answer (a detailed retelling is not needed 😉)

The expressiveness of reading, the presence of errors and / or stammers are also taken into account. Sometimes there is a return to re-reading the previous word, this indicates a lack of awareness and is considered a mistake.

It should also be taken into account that the standards for the speed (rate) of reading may differ depending on the educational institution, the requirements for a student of a gymnasium will be higher, for a student of a correctional class - lower.

The frequency of checking reading technique in elementary school is usually 2 times a year: the end of the first half of the year and the end of the second half of the year. However, in some schools the reading level is checked at the end of each quarter or trimester.

And again! I warn, I exhort - and all the same, the "lion's" part of the students and parents steps on the rake, from which I try to warn.

Understand, memorize, write down and repeat:
No need to speed read! That is, only five words per minute is not good, of course. Some reading speed is needed.

BUT: she, speed, appears as if by itself. The task of the child is simply to read without errors, without stammering or straying, not to swallow the endings and try to observe intonation.

Of course, we are guided by word standards. And yet, do not set the child to "run ahead of the locomotive." Repeat to him a hundred times: you just read and that's it. All!

If you have been reading every day for a year, if your child does not become discouraged when he sees the text, he will pass the reading technique.

The number of words read is not decisive.

Well… I warned you. Conclusions are up to you, dear parents!

Reading technique for grades 1-4

Reading is one of the basic skills for every child. Being able to read is important not only for the lessons of literature and the Russian language, but also for all other sciences. It will be difficult for a student to learn material in mathematics, English or the world around him if he does not know how to quickly familiarize himself with the text and understand what he read. It is reading that opens the door to the world of knowledge. Mastering cognitive texts or works of art, children learn to communicate, learn about the surrounding reality, and broaden their horizons. Cognitive abilities are also honed - memory, attention. Therefore, reading is considered the basis of success in further education.

But how do you know if a child reads well for his age or not? This can be done by checking the reading technique. Many parents do not quite understand the format and meaning of this test, believing that the determining criterion is speed, that is, the number of words read per minute. In fact, the test is focused on assessing not only the pace of reading, but also other skills. Let's try to deal with the requirements prescribed for reading technique in the Federal Standards.

Reading technique: basic criteria

How fast should you read? Is everything okay with a child with technology? Perhaps his skills do not meet some standards? These questions always concern responsible parents. And I must say that there is nothing wrong with this excitement, because involvement in the process of teaching children is in many ways the key to future success. But is it really worth worrying about reading speed?

To answer this question, it is necessary to understand in detail what exactly is assessed when testing reading technique. According to the requirements of the Federal State Educational Standard, the following are assessed:

reading speed - the number of characters that the child is able to read in one minute;

way of reading - reading words syllable by syllable or whole, smoothly;

correctness - the absence of mistakes and hesitations made by a child when reading;

awareness - the ability to understand the meaning and idea of what is read;

expressiveness - the ability to correctly place stress, observe intonation and maintain pauses when reading.

Analyzing the listed criteria, we can say that the test of reading technique is based on an assessment of two components: semantic and technical. At the same time, the technical side - tempo, expressiveness, correctness - is subordinated to the semantic, that is, the ability to understand the content of the text.

Reading technique: what is really important?

Reading is the most important type of speech activity, based on the ability to perceive and assimilate information. Unlike drawings, diagrams and video sequences, it activates the imagination. Scientists have proven that when reading poetry, other areas of the brain are involved than when mastering prose. This fact is explained by the different structure of phrases and phrases used in prose and poetry. Therefore, the ability to read can be considered as a tool for self-development. But this is not a basic skill, but acquired in the learning process. And here it is important not to force things, but to focus on the abilities and capabilities of the child.

It must be understood that reading technique is just one of the criteria, and it is not necessary to focus only on it. Especially parents whose children are not yet in school. Don't just chase the pace. At this stage, it is more important to broaden your horizons, get acquainted with different topics, memorize new words. And the best way to achieve this is to read a lot, daily, but not to put speed at the forefront.

As far as schoolchildren are concerned, two parameters essentially matter here: technique and meaningfulness of reading. Technique is usually called the ability to distinguish letters, transform them into sounds, compose syllables and words. Meaningfulness is a deeper concept. It is based on understanding the meaning and content of the text.

It would be erroneous to require a child to make sense of what they read until they have developed the skill of technical letter recognition. All the efforts of the crumbs, who are just learning to read, are aimed at memorizing and recognizing letters, syllables, words. In order to understand the essence of what is written in the text, he no longer has any intellectual strength or time. Therefore, primary education teachers first focus on technology, and only when it is brought to automatism, they begin to form a meaningful approach to reading.

Reading speed standards for elementary school

Reading speed standards adopted for elementary school students:

Grade 1: 1st semester - 20-25 words per minute, 2nd semester - 30-40 words;

Grade 2: I half-year - 40-50 words; II half-year - 50-60 words;

Grade 3: I half-year - 60-70 words; II half-year - 70-80 words per minute;

Grade 4: I half-year - 80-90 words per minute; end of the school year - 100-120 words.

In classes and schools for gifted children, the rate of reading may be higher. So, in the first grade, such children read more than 60 words per minute, in the second - 90-95, in the third - 95-105 words per minute. The pace when reading to yourself should be 20-50 words faster than when reading aloud.

Other test parameters

And a few more parameters that you should pay attention to:

Grade 1 - the student can read a significant part of the text in syllables.

Grade 2 - higher requirements are imposed on reading technique: only complex words can be read by syllables, it is important to observe pauses and correctly place stresses.

Grade 3 - reading should be conscious and expressive, with observance of intonation. In order to correctly assess the skills of the child, retelling is practiced.

Grade 4 - the student should be able to analyze what he has read and express his personal opinion.

Focusing on the standard, we can draw some conclusions about the effectiveness of training. But even if the child cannot read the number of words prescribed in the standards, you should not worry too much about it. After all, these are just average standards developed on the basis of general data. Each student has their own level and pace of development. Checking the technique is rather information for the teacher and parents. After analyzing the results, you can understand in which aspects of training you need to show more diligence.

Testing your reading skills yourself

You can organize a reading test at home, but don't turn it into an exam. Some children are quite sensitive to any tests, and in stressful situations they cannot always demonstrate everything they are capable of. Come up with a game format or check the technique discreetly. If the child himself wants to know what success he has achieved, then no problems will arise.

Action sequence:

Arm yourself with a watch with a second hand. To check, you can use a stopwatch on your smartphone, but it’s better to refuse an hourglass, since a child who has never seen such a thing will be distracted by them.

Prepare a text and show it to your child.

Ask to read the text aloud.

Time should be recorded from the moment you start reading.

If you notice that a child has made a mistake, don't stop him, just make a note for yourself.

Rate the result. To get the most objective picture of the student's skills, you should conduct a control check and compare the results.

If you see that the child is not concentrated enough, he is in a bad mood or is not feeling well, check the reading technique on another day.

Correctly evaluate the result

Count the number of words read. Points to pay attention to when counting:

conjunctions, particles, prepositions consisting of one or two letters are counted as one word;

when wrapping, a word is counted not as one, but as two;

words with a hyphen are counted differently: if there are three or more letters on both sides of the hyphen, then the word is counted as two, less than three letters - as one word.

Not only speed is important, but other criteria as well. Be sure to evaluate the correctness of the text you read. All mistakes made should be sorted out with the child. If you notice that there are a lot of hesitations, corrections, changes in endings and whole words, you should consult with the teacher. Perhaps professional correction of reading skills is needed.

It is also important to understand how well the child understood the meaning of the text. It is not necessary to ask the student to retell what they have read. It is enough that he describes the content in a few words. Ask him to identify the main idea. If there are problems with this, then you can resort to retelling.

Pay attention to expressiveness. The student should try to observe intonation, pause in accordance with punctuation marks. Unfortunately, not all children are able to read a passage with an expression. Tell the child in which places you need to increase the pace and emotionality, which words need to be emphasized.

Requirements for texts used to test reading skills

When choosing a text, adhere to the following recommendations:

It should be a text unfamiliar to the child, but not too complex, age appropriate.

Pay attention to the structure of sentences: they should be short, without dialogues and a lot of punctuation marks.

It is better to choose text without pictures.

Font size is also important - it should be large enough.

The text should not be divided into two pages.

Of course, you shouldn't check your reading technique using the instructions for household appliances or a manual for housewives. The best option is short stories about nature, animals, seasons.

Tips for Improving Reading Technique

Don't be discouraged if your test results aren't up to standard. But what really needs to be done is to put more diligence and not be lazy to practice. You can seek help from specialists or deal with the child on your own. But just remember that you need to do at least 15 minutes every day.

There are many exercises to improve reading technique:

reading the same text several times in a row with a gradual increase in pace;

"buzzing reading" - daily five-minute reading in a low voice;

"gibberish writing" - the use of texts in which some of the letters are written upside down;

"word search" - an exercise to search for a specific word in the text;

exercise with syllabic tables.

This is just a part of the exercises to improve your reading skills. There are also recommendations for working on literacy, expressiveness, understanding the meaning of what is read:

if there are problems with diction, you should focus on tongue twisters;

in order for the child to better understand the meaning of what he read, ask him to retell texts more often, make plans, draw illustrations for any passage;

Poems are most suitable for improving the expressiveness of reading. Only you need to recite them not quietly and calmly, but loudly and emotionally.

It is believed that the speed of reading should be comparable to conversational speech. This opinion is shared by both distinguished teachers and young innovative teachers. On average, 120-150 words per minute - it was to this pace that the human articulatory apparatus adapted over several centuries of evolution. Of course, such indicators are applicable for middle and high school students, but this does not mean that they should not be strived for.
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Comprehensive reading definition

Grade	at the end of the first half of the year	at the end of the second half of the year
1 class	at least 10 - 15 (20 - 25) wpm	2 -> less than 15 (25) wpm by 3 -> 15-19 (25-34) words by 4 -> 20-24 (35-40) words by 5 -> from 25 (41) words
2 cl.	by 2 -> less than 25 (40) words per minute by 3 -> 25-29 (40-48) words by 4 -> 30-34 (49-54) words by 5 -> from 35 ( 55) words	2 -> less than 40 (50) words per minute 3 -> 40-44 (50-58) words 4 words -> 45-49(59-64) words by 5 -> from 50 (65) words
3 cl.	by 2 -> less than 40 (55) words per minute by 3 -> 40-49 (55-64) words by 4 -> 50-59 (65-69) words by 5 -> from 60 (70) ) words	by 2 -> less than 65 (70) words per minute by 3 -> 65-69 (70-79) words by 4 -> 70-74 (80-84) words by 5 -> from 75 (85) ) words
4 class	by 2 -> less than 65 (85) words per minute by 3 -> 65-74 (85-99) words by 4 -> 75-84 (100-114) words by 5 -> from 85 (115) ) words	by 2 -> less than 70 (100) words per minute by 3 -> 70-88 (100-115) words by 4 -> 89-94 (116-124) words by 5 -> from 95 (125) words

Average reading level for 3rd grade

📚 Making Sense of Reading Levels plus booklists for every Grade

Making Sense of Reading Levels

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Reading levels by grade

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First Grade Reading Level

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Beth Gorden

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Finally

Sources

Making English Fun!

Reading technique. Norms 1-4 class.

And again! I warn, I exhort - and all the same, the "lion's" part of the students and parents steps on the rake, from which I try to warn.

Reading technique for grades 1-4

Reading technique: basic criteria

Reading technique: what is really important?

Reading speed standards for elementary school

Other test parameters

Testing your reading skills yourself

Correctly evaluate the result

Requirements for texts used to test reading skills

Tips for Improving Reading Technique

Learn more