A child's reading level is gauged on two different metrics: decoding--the ability to sound out and read a word even if the child does not know what it means--and comprehension. To gain an accurate understanding of your son's reading level, test him using both of these metrics. The method of testing is the same for any school-age child from kindergarten to 12th grade, and provides a reading level score that approximates the grade most appropriate for your son's reading ability.
Step 1
Look at the back of books your child is reading. Most children's books include a reading level usually denoted by the letters "RL" and a colon. The number may be expressed by grade level such as RL:3 for a third-grade reading level, or by a four-digit number expressing an age range such as RL:0712 for an age range of 7 to 12.
Step 2
Have your son read aloud from the book and count his pronunciation errors. Fluency is defined as fewer than five errors every hundred words, or approximately five errors per page. If your son is reading fluently, his decoding ability is at or above the reading level printed on the back cover.
Step 3
Ask questions about the text your son just read to test his comprehension. For a young son, ask questions related to the structure of sentences, such as "who threw the ball?" For older sons, ask more complex questions about the theme or what the author intended to portray. If your son can answer the question accurately or thoughtfully, his comprehension is at or above the reading level printed on the back cover.
Step 4
Provide a reading assessment table to your son (see Resources). These tables include lists of words for your son to read aloud. Let him continue reading until he becomes frustrated or pronounces five consecutive words incorrectly. Return to the last word he pronounced correctly, and count the total number of words up to that point. Most assessment tables include word totals at the end of every short section to assist you.
Step 5
Divide the total number of words by 10 to arrive at your son's reading level grade. The number after the decimal indicates how many months into that grade level your son's reading level is. For instance, if your son correctly pronounced 85 words in the assessment table, his reading level is 8.5, or five months into the eighth grade.
Tips and Warnings
- A reading level score lower than your son's current grade level does not indicate a learning disability, but it may indicate frustration or difficulty with the texts assigned in class. Help your son with his reading assignments until his reading level improves. For the most accurate reading level score, test your son using several different assessments and average the results.
Things You'll Need
- Children's books
