Reading Levels Readers Advisory

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Reading Levels -Readers Advisory You

• Annette Irene Birdsall
• Youth Services Consultant
• Finger Lakes Library System
• Resources from Kate Todd, ALSC Course Reading
  Instruction and Childrens Books, 2009.

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Flummoxed by Reading Level Questions?

• Examine 10 common readers advisory questions
  relating to reading levels
• Add 10 new resources to your readers advisory
  tool kit to help answer them
• Email annette_at_flls.org if you would like to have
  a workshop dedicated to Reading Levels Readers
  Advisory You

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1. Is Oggie Cooder, a good choice for my second
grader?

• A catalog search on the title might help you
  decide.
• The summary lets you know this book is about a
  fourth-grader. Thats ok because many kids like
  to read about kids just about two years older
  than themselves.
• The review link gives the grade level as 3-5.
• Heres where it gets tricky. Will the parent say
  their child is reading above grade level?
• The best one to answer this is the reader. See
  the five-finger method.

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Five Finger Method

• If there are more than five words that you dont
  know, that book might be too hard.
• http//mag.hdsb.ca/litcirc/5finger.htm
• This tool gives every reader the chance to
  determine if a books is right for them.

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2. My 3rd grader wants to read Twilight how do I
know if its right for her?

• Five Finger Method yes or no.
• I used Twilight as an example, because the
  popularity of the book movie will have lots of
  readers asking for this. Content level is not
  addressed with reading level tools. The five
  finger method might indicate the reading level is
  right, but the parent should make content level
  decisions!

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3. I need a book on architecture because our
whole fourth grade class is building models of
house styles found in our village.

• Building America, by Janice Weaver seems like a
  good place to begin this fourth graders
  research
• The School Library Journal review linked in the
  catalog gives a 3-5 grade level.
• If the grade level information wasnt available
  you could take a few minutes to determine is
  grade level by using the SMOG test.

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SMOG? or a Simple Measure of Gobbledygook

• Smog is a reading formula developed by Harry
  McLaughlin.
• Use this resource to help you quickly determine
  the grade level
• SMOG Calculator
• Instructions1. Near the beginning of the book,
  select 10 consecutive sentences. Circle all words
  of 3 or more syllables.2. Near the middle of the
  book, select 10 consecutive sentences. Circle all
  words of 3 or more syllables.3. Near the end of
  the book, select 10 consecutive sentences. Circle
  all words of 3 or more syllables.4. Total the
  number of circled words in the 30 sentences.5.
  Take the square root.6. Add the number 3.The
  resulting number is the SMOG readability level.
• Theres no proof that Harry McLaughlin called it
  this, but the name persists.

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4. How can I figure out the reading level of the
texts Im using to homeschool?

• SMOG is a good resource to share with all
  parents!
• Keep in mind thats its not as useful for
  fiction and only works for third grade up

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5. My daughter is just beginning to sound out
words what would be a good book for her?

• Because there are so many reading instruction
  methods this question might mean different
  things. Is she recognizing sight words? Is she
  focusing on initial consonant sounds or phonemes?
• Popular books like these Dora Diego Scholastic
  titles might be a good choice.
• And rhymes would help any beginning reader Check
  out these Wee Sing titles.

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6. What is the reading level of the Warriors
books?

• Since the Warriors books are available in
  paperback you may find the grade level listed
  there.
• This a great quick check to help readers and book
  buyers.
• Even without the book in hand the catalog often
  lists this information in the librarians view
  521 1 aAge 10.

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7. All of your country books are checked out!
How can I figure out if my 7th grader will be
able to use this article on Ethiopia?

• Youve gone to the databases and found a
  wonderful article, Bizen, H.. (2009, March).
  Growing UP in Ethiopia. Faces, 25(6), 32-33. 
  Retrieved August 16, 2009, from Platinum
  Periodicals. (Document ID 1828955301).
• The Publishers website can help articles are
  for ages 9-14.
• Or you can copy and paste the text into a Lexile
  Analyzer
• then compare the Lexile level to a Grade
  Conversion Chart. You will need to set up an
  account to use this.

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8. I need to find a book at a 4.7AR Level for
this weekend.

• Dont leave your other readers advisory tools
  aside when you answer this question, but you can
  have accurate success with tools like the Leveled
  Books Database.
• This site provides information on Guided Reading
  Levels, Accelerated Readers, Grade and Lexile
  Levels.
• Ingram and other wholesalers also provide Lexile
  and AR information.

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9. My son cant get enough information on bats
how do I know which websites would be best for
him since weve read all the bat books in the
library!

• ALAs Great Websites for Kids
• Telegraphs Useful Websites for Families
• Copy and Paste the text into Microsoft and run
  spell check (ignoring errors) for the
  Fletck-Kincaid Reading Level.
• http//www.batcon.org/

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Fletch-Kincaid Reading Level

• The Fletch-Kincaid Readability Formulas are based
  on word length and sentence length.
• This is the method that Microsoft word uses to
  determine grade level.
• Its one of approximately 30 different reading
  formulas. For more information visit wikipedia.

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10. I need a gift for my nephew in third grade

• Ask lots of questions!
• Carol Hurst has a great website that gives
  booklists by grade level http//www.carolhurst.co
  m/titles/gradetitles.html
• Use the tools youve explored here.
• A gift certificate is my preferred solution since
  it gives the child back both the five finger rule
  and interest.
• Buy high in the interest level range because kids
  who are motivated can be pushed a bit beyond
  their level, and too tough book for now will be
  just right soon enough.

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Your school is a tremendous resource.

• With so many different methods of reading
  instruction, phonics, sight words, language
  immersion and content literacy and more, its
  important to understand what your school district
  emphasizes.
• If all second graders are reading Deltora Quest
  or the eighth grade is planning a community read
  wouldnt you like to know and plan resources to
  help.
• Since there are over 30 reading level formulas,
  knowing which ones your school relies on will
  make your readers advisory more meaningful.

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For follow-up questions, please contact

• Annette Irene Birdsall
• Youth Services Consultant
• Finger Lakes Library System
• annette_at_flls.org
• 607/273-4074 x.27