How To Estimate Reading Levels

by Valorie Delp | More from this Blogger

There are several reasons why you may want to either estimate your child's reading level or estimate the reading level of the book you're giving to your child. For us, it makes a nifty addition to our annual assessment to be able to say that so and so is reading at such and such a grade level. Other times parents want to know either to identify a problem or strength. And of course, it's always nice to know when you're picking books out so that even if you haven't read the content, you have a good idea of whether or not the book will be too hard or too easy.

The 5 Finger Rule

The easiest way to determine whether or not a book is a comfortable reading level is to use the 5 finger method. If you're in a book store, have your child read a page and hold up one finger every time he or she struggles with a word. If he finishes the page before you have all 5 fingers up, then the book is likely at a comfortable reading level for him for independent reading. (On a side note, you should always choose more challenging books for reading out loud. Doing so will help improve vocabulary and comprehension.)

Flesch-Kincaid Index

If you're looking to (or if you're required to) produce a specific number of reading level, then you can use this formula. The Flesch-Kincaid index of a text passage results in a Literacy Level (LL) score. The formula is as follows:

(0.39 x Average Number of words in sentences) + (11.8 x Average Number of syllables per word) - 15.59

The Simplest Way

The simplest way to determine reading level of the books your child is choosing is to look on the back cover. Most books have a reading level listed near the price. If you want to estimate your child's reading level, have him read out loud to you and use the 5 finger test. You may need to have him read out loud several passages (which I suggest doing over the course of several days) until you come to something too difficult. You can safely estimate your child's reading level by giving the grade level of the last book in which he passed the 5 finger test.

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Learn more about Valorie Delp

Hello everybody! My name is Valorie and I am one busy lady! When I'm not writing or editing for families, I am busy trying to get my brood of 5 in line.

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