Guided reading level first 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 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:

Break down every word into individual letters. If there’s a combination (sh, th, ough), separate it into its own chunk.
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.
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

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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 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. nine0003

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 a child is able to read in one minute;
way of reading - reading words syllable by syllable or whole, smoothly;
correctness - the absence of errors and hesitations made by the child when reading;
awareness - the ability to understand the meaning and idea of what is read;
expressiveness - the ability to correctly place stresses, observe intonation and maintain pauses when reading.

Analyzing the listed criteria, we can say that the test of reading technique is based on the 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. nine0003

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. nine0003

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. nine0003

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. nine0003

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: 1st half year – 80-90 words per minute; end of the school year - 100-120 words. nine0014

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 by 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. nine0014
Grade 3 - reading must 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 the child.
Ask to read the text aloud.
The time should be recorded from the start of reading.
If you notice that a child has made a mistake, do not stop him, but simply make a note for yourself. nine0014
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; nine0014
when wrapping, the 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. nine0003

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. nine0003

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. nine0014
Text must not be split 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

If your test results don't meet the standards, don't get upset. 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. nine0003

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 minutes of 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 technique. 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. nine0014

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. After all, all the basic skills laid down in the primary grades will definitely come in handy in the future. The ability to read an average of 120 words will allow you to quickly master the material and cope with tasks. Naturally, provided that this is a conscious reading with an understanding of the meaning. Therefore, you need to work on the technique and pace of reading constantly. nine0003

‍

Grade and Quarter Standards

Reading is a key skill that opens the gate to the land of knowledge. Thanks to this skill, children learn about the phenomena and events of the world around them, get acquainted with the characters and actions of people, meet new problems and ideas. This skill helps them to broaden their horizons and ideas about the world, develops critical thinking and trains cognitive abilities - attention, imagination, memory. Reading is the foundation for further successful learning. nine0003

To understand how well a child develops this skill, it helps to check the reading technique. Reading technique is a multifactorial test that characterizes the development of a skill from different angles. In reading technique, the following are evaluated:

reading speed,
reading method,
reading awareness,
correct reading,
expressiveness of reading.

A difficult reading skill consists of both a technical and a semantic component and is aimed at achieving the main goal - understanding and assimilation of the information read. nine0003

Reading technique parameters

Let's consider all the components of reading technique in more detail.

Reading speed - the number of words read in a certain period of time. Often, parents focus on the formation of fluent reading, while the child makes many mistakes, does not understand and does not remember what he read. It is not necessary to force only speed, slower conscious reading and a gradual increase in tempo are better than fast mechanical reading with errors and inaccuracies. nine0014
Reading method — syllabic reading or reading the whole word, smoothly. With the development of the skill, the child has a gradual transition from syllabic reading to smooth reading in whole words.
The correctness of reading is characterized by the absence of errors and hesitation. Inattention, problems of diction lead to inaccurate reading, indistinct articulation and, as a result, to a distortion of meaning. Pay attention to the correct reading - this will be the key to competent writing. nine0014
Reading awareness involves reading comprehension, awareness of the idea and meaning of the text, and in the future - this is the ability to catch the subtext, humor, irony, the attitude of the author. Interfering with reading comprehension can be low reading speed, distorted reproduction - guessing words, changing the shape of words, not reading endings.
Reading expressiveness - the use of pauses, finding the right intonation, the correct placement of stress. The expressiveness of reading is inextricably linked with awareness. When understanding what is read, it is easier for the child to observe the necessary pauses, select the correct intonation and place logical stresses. nine0014

Reading speed standards for primary school

GEF standards determine the desired reading speed for a child at a certain point in learning, help to understand whether the development of a skill is successful or whether additional attention is required. Standards - indicative values; it is important to take into account the individual psychophysiological characteristics of each child and evaluate the growth of his personal indicators.

Grade 1 reading speed standards

Reading speed standards in grade 2

Reading speed standards in grade 3

Reading speeds in grade 4,

Reading speed, to which it is necessary schools, is reading at the speed of conversational speech, 110-120 words per minute. The human articulatory apparatus has adapted to this speed over time. And most importantly, the reading should be conscious, correct, expressive. nine0003

How can I test my child's reading skills on my own?

Have your child see how well they read already. Children usually love to know how many centimeters they have grown, and they may also be interested in knowing their progress in reading. Warn about the upcoming test and ask the child to read quickly.

The control of reading technique in sensitive children who, due to their temperament, can hardly tolerate various tests, can be carried out imperceptibly or in the form of a game. Do not create unnecessary excitement around the upcoming test, do not arrange a test in the form of an exam. If the child is worried, stutters, transfer control to another time. nine0003

Verification process:

Prepare a clock with a second hand or use the stopwatch on your phone, and choose the appropriate text.
Ask the child to take a seat.
Show him the text and ask him to read it aloud.
Track the time from the moment your child starts reading. Not all children are able to immediately start reading on command, which leads to inaccurate results.
Usually, one minute is noted for checking, but some experts recommend taking 2 minutes for monitoring, since not all children are equally quickly included in the work. Divide the result obtained in 2 minutes in half. nine0014
When reading, do not correct or interrupt. It is better to discuss the mistakes made after the child has finished reading.
Assess the speed, correctness, awareness and expressiveness of reading.
Retest and compare results. Reading technique may differ depending on the child's fatigue, health status and mood.

Which text is suitable for verification?

For this purpose, both fiction and popular science texts, appropriate for the age of the child, are suitable. The text should be unfamiliar, but understandable to the child, have educational and educational value. The texts of V. Bianchi, L. Tolstoy, N. Nosov, B. Zhitkov, K. Ushinsky, V. Dragunsky are suitable. The text for verification can be found in special manuals or in a textbook on the Russian language and literature. nine0003

You should find the text that is located on the spread of the book so that the child does not have to waste time turning pages. Choose text without an abundance of punctuation marks and distracting illustrations. It is not desirable that the passage contains common complex sentences and dialogues. The font must be large enough and legible. The text should not have a technical focus and contain terms incomprehensible to the child.

Test score

Speed score

Count how many words the child read in one minute. When counting words, pay attention:

prepositions, conjunctions, particles of 1-2 letters are counted as one word;
when wrapping, a word counts as 2 words;
if the word is written with a hyphen, look at how many letters are on both sides of the hyphen: if there are more than three, we count it as 2 words, for example, “long-long”, if less than three, for example, “somehow”, - as one .

Compare your score with the recommended range and your child's previous performance. nine0003

Comprehension score

Determine how well the child understood what they read. If the student reads slowly and has read only a couple of sentences, let him read the passage to the end. Ask your child a few questions about the text. Ask what or who he read about. Ask the child to identify the main idea of what they read and retell the text.

For a deeper check of the meaning of the reading and learning, use special teaching kits. nine0003

Correctness assessment

Pay attention to whether the child reads what is written correctly, whether he pronounces words clearly, whether there are hesitations and corrections, whether he alters words, whether he changes endings, whether he places stresses correctly. Discuss the mistakes with the student.

Evaluation of expressiveness

To assess the expressiveness of reading, the child is offered a familiar text. Listen to whether the child observes pauses and other punctuation marks, whether he changes intonation, whether he highlights the main idea. nine0003

Improving reading technique

Poor results in reading technique are not a reason to be upset, but only a signal that additional efforts need to be made to improve the skill. You can work with the child on your own or contact a specialist who will analyze the weak points and select the appropriate exercises. Conduct additional activities with the child in the mode of "sparing reading" without pressure. It is more important to observe the regularity and frequency of classes: 10-20 minutes daily. nine0003

How can you motivate your child to read:

Reward your efforts with stickers, stars.
Mark progress visually - create a success board so your child can visually see their progress
Conduct activities in the form of a game, such as "going to the library" or "reading to your favorite toys. "
Choose books and texts that are interesting for your child.
Let the child read to the pets, they are grateful and accepting listeners. Reading to them, the child is not afraid to make a mistake, he relaxes and overcomes the fear of failure. nine0014
Have a reading competition between peers and siblings.

To improve the speed of reading will help:

Reading by syllabic tables.
Multiple reading. Read the same text several times, increasing the pace. From the second time the child will be able to read faster.
"Tug". An adult leads a finger along the line, setting the pace. The child tries to read at a given pace.
Tops and roots. The child reads the words, covering the upper or lower half of the letters with a ruler. nine0014
Reading in a book turned upside down.
Lightning. Alternating reading at a comfortable pace with reading at the highest possible speed for 20 seconds on the command "Lightning!".
"Sprint". Reading speed competition between classmates.
Work on expanding the field of view according to Schulte tables.
Reading with a window to eliminate "regression" - recurrent eye movements that lead to repeated reading.

For correct reading:

Work on clear diction, do articulatory gymnastics.
Read tongue twisters and tongue twisters.
Invite the child to correct the deformed sentences: "The weather is good on the street."
"Imaginary word". When reading, the wrong word is pronounced, the child must correct it.

Reading comprehension

“Reading in a wave”. First, the child reads aloud, then retells what he read.
The student reads to himself at a comfortable pace, tells what he understood and felt, what he thought about
Discuss unfamiliar words and expressions.
Invite the child to draw a picture of the passage they read.
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Guided reading level first grade

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Beth Gorden

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

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What Reading Skills They Will Learn in First Grade

What Language Will Books at These Reading Levels Contain?

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

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Making English Fun!

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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

Grade and Quarter Standards

Reading technique parameters

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Reading speeds in grade 4,

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Improving reading technique

How can you motivate your child to read:

To improve the speed of reading will help:

For correct reading:

Reading comprehension

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