When you are trying to ensure you are raising a good reader, you may find that having books correlated with their reading level can maintain that love of reading and build their comprehension.  

How do you choose books that are written at the proper reading level, though? When you do, how do you build up their vocabulary and comprehension? 

Here are some tips to help you find books for your child to read.

Tested Reading Level

In school, many tests are given, and one of those deals with the students’ reading levels. This means that the first step should be to reach out to your child’s teacher and ask for their test results. 

There are also online assessments that are available to you, as well. Once you know the appropriate level, how do you tell if a book is written at that level?

Use It To Find Books

The good thing is that most children’s and young adult books will have what reading level they are on their spine or back cover. You can also head over to websites like Scholastic and use the systems they have set up. 

Another option is called the Book Wizard, and it allows you to search books by reading level. Then, you can look at these titles, make your selection, and order them through the site or other book sites. 

Countdown Comprehension

Now that you have a book written at the right level according to their testing, it is time to think about vocabulary and comprehension. One of the games you can use to work on this is to have your child hold up five fingers. 

As they read a page, have them lower one finger for every word they don’t know or understand. If they have no fingers left at the end of the page, then the book is still a little too hard. 

Comprehension Check

Comprehension is essential to determine if the book is too much for your child. A good rule of thumb is to have the child stop after every couple of pages. Then, have them give you a brief summary of what they just read. 

You can ask them questions and also let them ask you questions if there is something they didn’t understand. This will also make reading time an interactive family affair, which may give them more confidence in their reading. 

Concluding Thoughts

These are just some of the ways you can ensure that the books you are purchasing for your child are written for their reading level. It is also okay to challenge them – just not so much that they get nothing from the book. 

Even if you try to challenge them, you don’t want to deter them from becoming good readers and enjoying reading.