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Quick Guide to Understanding Reading Levels

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Written by: Mary Kate Bolinder

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With so many different types of reading assessments and leveling systems, it can be hard to keep track of which books are just right for your growing readers. Let’s take a look at some of the reading level systems to get a better understanding of each, and how they can be useful in your literacy block and small group instruction planning.

Guided Reading Level

The Guided Reading Level was developed by reading experts Fountas & Pinnell. The levels are matched to grade level specific reading goals. In order to progress to the next level, students must display proficient use of strategic actions. Decoding, word acquisition, vocabulary growth, making predictions, connecting to text, recognizing text features, summarizing, inferring, and bringing personal experiences to comprehension passages are just a few of the components measured on the Guided Reading Level. For a more in-depth look at Guided Reading Levels, check out this link.

• 1st Grade: E – J
• 2nd Grade: K – N

Lexile Bands

Lexile Measure is a valuable evaluation tool. A Lexile measure evaluates the complexity of text, as well as students’ ability to read and comprehend the text. To find the Lexile Grade Level Charts for 1st and 2nd grade, click here.

1st Grade Lexile Bands

2nd Grade Lexile Bands

DRA

The Diagnostic Reading Assessment is an assessment that is ideally administered twice a year. To determine a student’s DRA reading level, students are administered an individual assessment that measures skills of phonemic awareness, phonics, and fluency. There are also measurements for vocabulary, comprehension, and engagement. The better a student scores, the higher the number of their DRA level.

Expected DRA levels:

• 1st Grade: 4 – 16
• 2nd Grade: 16 – 24

AR

The Accelerated Reader, or AR Level, is designed to match students with an appropriate level of text for independent reading. to Measure an AR text, three things are considered: average sentence length, average word length, and word difficulty level.

Expected AR Levels:

• 1st Grade: 1.0-1.9
• 2nd Grade: 2.0-2.9

Let’s take a closer look at a Lucky Little Learners 2nd Grade reading passage.

The reading comprehension passages are leveled using a Lexile band, but due to Lexile copyright, we cannot provide the exact level for each passage. The coding we use for each reading passage level is:

• ⭐️Below Level/Star Passages: within the 300-500 band
• ❤️On level/Heart Passages: within the 400-700 band
• 🍏Above level/Apple passages: within the 600-800 band

When we design new products for 2nd grade that are leveled, we make sure they are within the CCSS recommended Lexile band for second grade (300-800).

Looking to compare the different reading level assessments? Take a look at this leveling chart.

Tools for Leveling Books

Are you searching for a “just right” book for a student? Check out Scholastic’s Book Wizard, where you can find the level of any book by simply typing the name or ISBN number. Voila! The Book Wizard generates the Grade Level, Guided Reading Level, Lexile Level, DRA Level, and ACR Level, all with the click of a button. If only organizing your classroom library was that easy! For tips on leveling and organizing a classroom library, check out this classroom library blog post.

More Digital Resources for Leveling Books:

Lexile Find a Book – from the Lexile

Level It Books App and QuickScan Book Leveler– these apps allow you to scan ISBN numbers with your phone’s camera, making library leveling a breeze!

Be sure to check out our reading comprehension passages in All Access.

Download 2nd Grade Reading Passages HERE

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

Throughout elementary and middle school, reading levels are a core component of education. The reading level determines what your child is capable of reading and comprehending. Knowing what level they’re at will allow you to practice with them to enhance their skills and figure out how they compare to the rest of their class.

A first grader should be at a reading level between 3 to 12. Higher reading levels indicate that they’re near the top of their class, but there’s always room for growth. In some cases, your child might fall below or rise above the range. Practice and proper tutoring will improve their reading level.

In this article, you’ll also learn the following information about what reading level a first grader should be at:

• Basic details that determine reading levels
• How you can help your child improve or adjust their reading skills
• Reading concepts they will learn from the beginning to the end of first grade
• Links to reading resources designed by teachers

What Is a Reading Level?

A reading level is a guide or resource that indicates comprehension, pronunciation, and clarity of a person’s reading. First graders shouldn’t be expected to read the same books as sixth graders, so it’s essential to go slow and steady while they’re learning new skills. This process should flow with the rest of the class, as you’ll learn in the next section.

As explained by Scholastic, there are plenty of reading level guides, including alphabetical, numerical and more. Here are the following reading level indicators: This is not a definitive list and its can be fairly confusing for teachers as well as parents. There are comparison guides, like the one below from real kids mag so that you can properly choose books across levels for your students. We are producing our own Free downloadable one for you as well this week. We have linked to one here but if you have a guided reading system of your own you should be able to find the correct comparison chart as well.

Many publishers use their own systems as well

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

Since it’s one of the most common methods, we’ll focus on the DRA Level today. As you’ve read in the introduction, a first grader should be reading between 3 to 12. It’s crucial that you remember they won’t be at a 12 right when they start first grade. The next section will detail what they’ll learn throughout the year to bring them as high on the chart as possible.

Note: While 12 is at the top of the list for first graders, you shouldn’t worry if your child isn’t there at the end of the year. It’s not a requirement until the middle of their second-grade year. If they’re already at a 12 in first grade, they’re ahead of the curve. By the beginning of second grade, your child should be around 8.

What Reading Skills They Will Learn in First Grade

Perhaps the most essential part of learning and reading in first grade is comprehension. Teachers focus on helping your first grader retell stories and understand what they’re saying rather than merely repeating what they’ve heard. For this reason, big words and long stories could prove challenging at the beginning of the year.

According to Reading Rockets, a first grader will learn how to break down long words and understand various sounds made by each word. Patience is key since English is one of the most challenging languages to read, even for those who speak it natively. Combinations such as ‘th’, ‘ough,’ and ‘sh’ will be taught throughout the year in a native classroom, in Second language it will be focusing on word construction with CVC and Blends.

Punctuation is another essential part of the year. Exclamation points, question marks, periods, and commas will be highlighted. Semicolons and colons won’t be taught until later in the year or during second grade. Your goal as a parent should be to help your child learn the four previously mentioned punctuations.

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Another reading skill will be capitalization, pronouns, starting a sentence, and other capitalized letters will be explored. Remember that, along with punctuation, capitalization likely won’t be mastered until second grade. However, your first grader will be able to start understanding stories and sentences, opening the gates to inspired, entertaining reading sessions.

Once they learn how to comprehend sentences, they’ll start to engage much quicker. They might wonder why something is one way or another, and they could begin to correct sentences if they feel something is wrong. This is a crucial stage that you could help them realize right from wrong in the world of reading and writing.

What Language Will Books at These Reading Levels Contain?

During their first grade year, the language contained in books and stories includes three to four-letter words. They range from simple words like ‘the’ or ‘and,’ but they’ll lead to bigger words that could present a challenge. Remember to sound out each letter with them so they understand the variations of vowels.

Parents.com suggests asking your child questions about books, stories, and sentences that they’re reading. This step will cause them to think and build on their knowledge while comprehending what they’re studying. They also recommend engaging in predictions to get your first grader to dig deeper into the reading material. We have Comprehension workbooks to help with this.

Since first graders are guided towards comprehension rather than in-depth long words, they won’t have to learn too many words over four or five letters. They should take this year to practice their understanding of the basic concepts that form a sentence, including punctuation, pronunciation, and letter combinations, as mentioned in the previous section.

Here’s an excellent way to help them learn tough words:

1. Break down every word into individual letters. If there’s a combination (sh, th, ough), separate it into its own chunk.
2. 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.
3. Don’t study for too long. Short 15-minute study sessions hold their interest long enough to prevent reading from becoming a boring chore.
4. Use the resources from school and online to supplement these skills. We have 1000s on our site for free and premium downloads.

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

Helping your child become an interested reader is one of the most understood processes in schooling. You don’t want to spend hours every day, or they’ll be overwhelmed and won’t retain most of the information. As you saw in the third tip of the previous section, short study sessions are the key to success.

Here’s a list of ways that you can help your first grader develop a love for reading:

• Find reading material that they’re interested in. For example, if they love sports or cars, choose those books over anything else. 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.
• Reward them for reading a specific number of words. They’ll begin to associate a learning session with enjoyment rather than a distraction from playing with toys or friends. Remember to read with them, so they don’t feel like they’re trying to learn by themselves.
• Picture books can keep your child’s interest for countless minutes. If you stop reading after 15 to 20 minutes, they’ll be begging to jump back into the material.

All of these suggestions point to one fact: You can make your child love reading by finding out what they’re interested in and using it to educate and elevate their reading skills. Their reading level will naturally and gradually increase as the material becomes more challenging.

Finally

Now that you know where they should be and what they’ll learn, you’re equipped to help your child with at-home education. Some children can read and comprehend faster, so you might need to spend more or less time focusing on specific words.

Here’s a quick recap of the post:

• First graders typically fall between a 3 to 12 reading level.
• You can help them by focusing on challenging words and breaking down the meaning of each sentence.
• Find books and stories that they’ll love to improve their engagement.
• Use additional resources and activities to engage and inspire them

Sources

• Scholastic – Learn About Leveled Reading
• Reading Rockets – Goals for First Grade: Early Reading and Writing
• Parents – What Will My Kid Learn in First Grade?

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.

✒️First grade: whether to do homework with the child. Homework in elementary school: pros and cons

We continue the topic of homework - in the first grade and in elementary school in general. How to teach a child to be independent if he cannot do his homework without the help of his parents? And what is the risk of "sitting" with a child over lessons up to secondary school? Here is what Ekaterina Burmistrova, child and family psychologist, psychotherapist, mother of 11 children advises.

Homework: teacher's requirements

The basic practice during our childhood was the same: "You will do your homework, and if you have any difficulties, you will ask me and I will help you." Now the entire system of education in elementary school is designed for parents to do homework with their child. In addition:

• the programs have changed a lot, even in the Russian language, mathematics and reading;
• the entrance level of children has changed a lot - children who read are expected at school;
• a foreign language is studied from grades 1-2;
• increased the number of non-working mothers.

These changes:

• are inconvenient for parents;
• very adversely affect the relationship between children and parents;
• are very strongly reflected in the volitional maturation of children.

Now teachers of first-graders directly warn parents that they will have to study with their children. If this is not explicitly stated, then teachers still assume that you are the entire elementary school will be responsible for the child's homework. If earlier the task of the teacher was to teach, now the task of the teacher is to give the task, and the task of the parents (presumably) is to complete these tasks.

The child writes his first hooks - and is immediately subjected to pressure from his parents: “I took the pen in the wrong direction! You are mocking us! You will be a janitor!" The level of motivation of the child is low - the level of motivation of the parents goes off scale. And at school, the teacher says: “Why doesn’t the child come up with a combination of letters?” You don't come to the teacher with a question, but he forces you to study with your child. Having explained the material at school, he assumes that you will study regularly and get advice on what to do and how. And a stable lexical link "How are we doing?" is formed, which speaks of the ongoing symbiosis of mother and child.

This system is imposed by many elementary school teachers: for the child to do everything perfectly at home, that is, with the help of parents. Only old experienced teachers adhere to the classical system - so that the child does everything himself, albeit with mistakes, and they are ready to teach and correct.

You need to understand which teacher you are dealing with , what is his position. And depending on the rigidity of this position, bend the line of independence.

Should I do homework with my child?

What are the consequences of parents sitting and doing homework with a first grader, a second grader, a third grader, a fourth grader? The maturation of children now begins quite early, and already at 9-10 years old, all the symptoms of adolescence can be observed in a child. So, by the 5th or 6th grade, this opportunity to sit and do homework with your child will definitely be gone, the child will simply not let you participate in his life like that. But in four years he will get used to the fact that his mother is responsible for the lessons, and he himself0031 cannot and cannot take responsibility . At the cost of losing relationships, you can continue to force him up to 14-15 years, until there is enough strength. The child will not continue to be responsible for his tasks. And at 14-15 years old, the protest will already be very bright - and with a break in relations.

That is why children who were almost excellent students in elementary school (because their mom and dad did everything for them) drastically reduce their studies in secondary school. They are no longer ready to accept help - it is psychologically impossible, and they do not have the skills and abilities to learn.

The most important thing that a child can be taught in elementary school is responsibility , the ability to work and the ability to perceive the task as one's own. At first, if you are moving in this direction, the child's learning performance will probably be lower. But in the 2nd-3rd grade, the child levels off, and most importantly, there is no loss of academic performance in the 4th-5th grade.

1st Grade Homework: 5 Parent Questions

Now let's look at specific parenting questions related to homework, especially in 1st grade.

If the school asks a lot and it is not clear to the child, what should I do? Should you help him? It is desirable to avoid such a situation. This happens if a child goes to a stronger school than he is shown. Usually a normal child without special needs understands everything at a school of his level, although, of course, he can listen and chat. Use the help of a teacher, resort to additional classes at school. Orient the child to what the teacher gives knowledge. If you don't understand something, you need to ask him. Without doing homework with the child, you still need to follow what is happening: “Tell me what happened at school, what did you learn? How do you solve problems?".

If homework is not given, how do you develop learning independence? If there is no task, then you still need to offer the child to do some amount of work for a certain time on their own. Tasks should be small so that the desire to learn remains, so that the child does not overwork. All overs are much more dangerous than unders. Do not sit over the child, do not worry about the quality of work. There will be mistakes, but gradually they will become less.

A first grader does not yet read very well and does not always understand the task in the textbook (and sometimes it is composed in such a way that even an adult can hardly understand it). To help? Agree that at first the task is read by the child anyway. Is it clear what needs to be done? Let him do it. Unclear? Then you read and figure out together what is required. Then the child does. Set time limits for how long this situation will last: for example, "In the 2nd grade, you can read and do everything yourself. " It's the same with writing down homework: while you write it down, because the child can't write well, and after a while you won't do it.

Should I check my homework? Alas, most teachers expect you to check everything, rewrite it several times and bring an excellent clean copy, from which it will not be clear where the child "does not hold up."

Your position depends on the sanity of the teacher. If the teacher is sane, then you can explain to him that you are for independence, for the possibility of making mistakes. If it is possible for the teacher to bring homework with an error, rejoice.

If not, you can’t argue against the education system and you don’t want to spoil your relationship with the teacher - check your homework, teach your child to look for his mistakes, but try to maintain a good mood, not get angry. Why is it important?

Mother's role is support, care, acceptance. The role of the teacher is control, strictness, punishment. From the mother, the child perceives all teaching qualities as offensive, especially in the first two grades, while the position of the student is just being formed. He does not perceive the correction as a correction, but thinks that you are scolding him.

What about the English language? Textbooks are such that a child cannot study them on his own. English from the first grade - a special difficulty. This is a very big load - two scripts and two grammars are being mastered at the same time. It is necessary to help with the preparation of homework in English. But it is desirable to have a tutor, a teacher - for the same reasons: so that mom does not confuse herself with a teacher.

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In 2021, the admission of children to the first grade will be carried out according to new rules, in accordance with the order of the Ministry of Education N458 "On approval of the procedure for admission to study in educational programs of primary general, basic general and secondary general education. "

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What's new in the document?

If earlier for many years in a row the submission of applications from the parents of future first-graders began no later than February 1 (and in some regions it could open even earlier), now the acceptance of applications will start only on April 1. Moreover, for families who live in the territory assigned to the school, and for those whose children have an advantage in enrolling in the first grade, the start date will be the same - April 1. And the deadline for accepting applications from parents from these categories will be June 30.

What's interesting? If earlier the school had to enroll the baby within 7 days after receiving the documents, now, according to the new procedure, the director issues an administrative act on admission within 3 working days after completing the acceptance of all these applications - that is, after June 30. This applies only to those families who live on the "site" of the school and those whose children have an advantage in enrollment. For example, the order prescribes the priority right to enroll children in the same school where their brothers and sisters are already studying. That is, the principle is this: first, until June 30, all applications are collected - then orders are issued.

But if the child does not live in the “site” assigned to the school, then parents of future first graders need to apply from July 6th. If there are places left, then the child will be enrolled in the school. Reception will go until the vacancies are filled, but no later than September 5th. A public school can only refuse admission if there are no more places available. In this case, the local education authorities must help the parents to place the child in another school.

How exactly will parents apply in different regions? The following options are prescribed in the order of the Ministry of Education:

• - personally to the school
• - by registered mail with acknowledgment of receipt
• - in electronic form via the school's e-mail or its website
• - using the functionality of regional portals of state and municipal services.

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