All of our teachers use either Fountas & Pinnell’s Guided Reading benchmarks or the DRA (Diagnostic Reading Assessment) to identify students’ reading levels. Books that are “just right” for your child are the ones on his or her level. However, children’s listening levels are usually well above their reading levels. If a child is reading at a first grade level, he or she can listen and comprehend books at a third or fourth grade level. Reading aloud to your child will help challenge him or her by introducing more sophisticated vocabulary and cognitive skills. In addition, reading together is a great time for parents and children to bond, and it provides opportunities for meaningful discussion. Try to read other types of materials too (magazines, comics, newspapers, atlases, recipes, game instructions, etc.) to show your child that there are many reasons to read!
To find out the Guided Reading or DRA level of a particular book, you can look up the title on the Scholastic Book Wizard.
Below are lists of suggested summer reading books organized by reading level: