Reading Levels of BooksReading levels of books are hard to determine. Book jackets may state a readability level, but there is no standard for the industry. The truth is that levels vary widely for childrens books. Here is a trick to help you decide which book is best for your child... Choosing age appropriate books seems like a simple task—until you get to the book store. Suddenly you are surrounded by hundreds of children's books, and they seem to keep multiplying. How do you decide which book is best for your child? Even though the book jackets give you an age range, your child doesn't seem to fit. How do you know if the book will be too easy or too hard? Perhaps you have a list of books that might work—but you left it at home near the computer. What's a mother to do?
Ruth Beechick to the rescue! Here is a simple trick to help you find age appropriate books for children that your child will be able to read. The book selection tip comes from Ruth's books, The Three R's (pages 32-33).Here's the Trick... Open the book you're considering, and read a paragraph with approximately 100 words. Each time you find a word your child doesn't know (can't sound out or doesn't know what it means), raise a finger. What do those fingers mean?
That's all there is to it! You can now easily see the reading level of books and decide if a book is right for your child. Another hint: if you shop at Amazon In fact, you can even teach your child how to do this by himself. It's helpful when he goes to the library without you. Of course, you should not discourage your child from reading books that are above his reading level—a bit above... For example, here's what one mother reported recently:
 by Jane Bingham. She can read some of it now, and she asks lots of questions! Later on, she'll be able to read it alone, but for now it is a great resource, and it's sparked her interest in history. Even though determining the reading levels of children's books seems ominous, at first, you can easily determine if a book will work well for your child by using the tricks above. In addition, always make sure that your child is interested in the subject. In the end, a book won't ever be read—unless your child LIKES it! Reading Levels to Children Reading Reading Levels to Childrens Books 
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