How Can I Tell What Reading Level My Child Is at

I decided to start hunting for a reading level examination for my kid during my first year of homeschooling.

I had a outset grader who had completed her phonics curriculum, simply wasn't really interested in affiliate books. She loved for me to read to her, but was not interesting in reading very much herself – which stressed me.

As a frazzled, outset-time homeschooler, I wanted to test her reading level to meet if she needed more than reading teaching, more practise, or if she was correct where she needed to be.

I have tried a number of online reading tests over my homeschooling years and have found that they are not all created equally.

In this mail I am going to share with you everything you wanted to know and more about giving your child a reading level examination.

But First, Avoid Reading Level Tests If…

Your kid is still going through a loftier quality phonics program, such as All Almost Reading, Explode the Code, or Primary Phonics.

Let your kid cease the program before worrying near what grade level they may exist at.

Most reading tests do not assume that the child is learning phonics (since near kids aren't) and will rely more heavily on sight words they think the child should accept learned by a sure grade.

Taking a reading exam with a kid who hasn't finished their phonics reading curriculum is probably not going to exist helpful to a parent or child.

Do Take a Reading Level Exam If…

• You take just started homeschooling and accept no idea where your kid should be placed for reading.

• You have finished a phonics program, but are withal unsure if your kid is where they demand to be.

• You recall your kid might be gifted reader and want to see what level they are testing at.

• Yous desire to make sure your student is progressing, even though they're not reading aloud to y'all anymore

• You demand to make sure y'all are buying the correct level books for your child to read.

• You lot want to see if your kid is smarter than someone else's kid and you want proof.

These are all great reasons, well except for that terminal one. Definitely practise not exam your kid for homeschooling glory.

Hopefully that gave you lot a laugh, then let'south dive in!

four Tips for Getting the Best Results When You Exam Reading Level

i.Accept the Reading Test Yourself

I took a lot of time to explicate how the test runs below, only it would exist helpful to run through the test yourself first. Make sure you know how to administer the test and confirm that the reading assessment is a good fit for your child.

two. Administer the Reading Test at the Best Fourth dimension

Make sure that your kid takes the test when they are their best. Is that showtime thing in the morning, in the evening, or correct later on lunch (probably not)?

Ensure your kid has plenty of energy, isn't hungry, and is in a comfortable environment with minimal distractions.

3. Prep Your Child Mentally

If you are giving a reading assessment to your kid, there is a good chance that your kid is already a little insecure well-nigh reading. Practice non put the pressure on them that this test evaluating them.

I have given several reading tests and I make a point to tell them it is no large bargain, only I practice demand them to do their best. I go on to say that I need to evaluate our curriculum. Depending on how they do on the test, I will make decisions about what books I need to buy for the next school year.

This takes the pressure level off of them.

The are non being evaluated – the curriculum is existence evaluated.

4. Practice Not Share Their Results with Them

When the reading level exam is consummate, tell them they did well and that you are happy with their endeavour.

If the score is less than you were hoping for, you don't want to destroy their confidence. If it'due south really high, you don't want them to exist prideful and brag about it.

Either way, tell them they worked hard and you'll use the scores to make the best decisions for their education.

This also helps if you plan to test their reading in the future. They will go into the assessment with no expectations – positive or negative.

3 Free Ways to Test Reading Level Online!

i. MacMillian Reading Level Test

The MacMillian Reading Level examination seems to exist one of the most popular and trusted reading level tests out at that place.

I used it with my daughter a couple years ago and I recently tested my own reading level to refresh myself on their procedure.

How the MacMillian Reading Level Test Works

Everyone starts at the easiest level. You are provided a picture and a backup the blank question. There will be iv multiple choice options to choose from.

Every bit you answer questions y'all progress through the levels until you have missed a certain number. So yous are immediately told what level reader you are – Starter, Beginner, Uncomplicated, Pre-Intermediate, Intermediate, Upper-Intermediate, or Advanced.

Interestingly, I plant the questions to exist a bit slanted towards an agreement of grammar and reading comprehension.

Here is an case of a grammar question. Your kid may be able to read all the words, but does he sympathize the correct verb agreement?

Pros and Cons of MacMillian Reading Level Examination

The benefits of this online reading level test are that it is gratuitous, elementary to use, and provides y'all an answer right away (no need to wait for an email).

Information technology is also a swell test for a kid who can read, but struggles with comprehension.

The negatives to me are that information technology seems to be testing more than reading and the results do non provide a class level. You may not know what to do with an "Uncomplicated Level" result. It is kind of a broad answer.

One More Thing to Know Nearly MacMillian Reading Level Test

The test does not tell your kid when they miss a question. I intentionally missed questions in social club to run into what would happen and it just went to the adjacent question.

This might help if your child would exist stressed past a reading level examination – no big red 10 when they make an error.

two. San Diego Quick Cess

I have also used this reading level test with my kid – twice actually – and it lives up to its proper name!

It actually is quick!

How the San Diego Quick Assessment Works

Go to this online PDF and impress off the iv pages.

You will come across grade level words in columns from Pre-Primer through 11th grade. There are 10 words in each column.

Give your child the student portion and ask them to start reading down the beginning column. Use your grader sheet to check off if they read the word correctly or not.

The test helps you lot break down the results in terms of Independent Level, Instructional Level, and Frustration Level.

Pros and Cons of San Diego Quick Exam

The benefits of this online reading level examination is that it does give a quick and free snapshot of your kids reading level. No lengthy exam that your child gets bored with.

It is also on paper, which many kids exercise better with than reading off a screen.

The test doesn't have whatsoever context or pictures to help your child. It will really tell y'all if they tin can read or sound out the word or not.

Parents will too like that they get a solid grade level event – a fiddling easier to empathize and work with.

The only con I accept is that determining form level with but ten words is pretty arbitrary. You kid may know many other form level words, but not necessarily the ones on this list.

3. Pioneer Valley Reading Test

This is the most recent online reading level test we've used and past far my favorite. I found it to be much more comprehensive and I felt the results were a much more solid reflection of my daughter'south truthful reading skills.

How the Pioneer Valley Reading Test Works

This online reading cess is broken into ii parts.

Part 1: High Frequency Discussion Reading

The first role consists of words coming across the screen for your child to read. The words are unproblematic at commencement and so get more complex. The parent sits with the child and clicks "Correct" or "Incorrect" as the child reads each word.

Once the child misses two words, she is moves on to the next step.

Part Ii: Reading

Yous will be asked to sit with your child while they read through an interesting story. Make a mark on a piece of a paper every time your child misses a word in the story.

At the terminate of the story yous will be prompted to tape the total number of words your kid missed and whether or not they struggled to complete the story. Based on those results your child will either move forwards or astern on a scale of A-Z. Eventually your child will be assigned a Letter Level and you will encounter a chart that corresponds to a grade level:

Pros and Cons of Pioneer Valley Online Reading Cess

I thought this was much more than involved and thorough than other tests we have tried.

Even if your child encounters words he doesn't know in the start part of the assessment, there are still many other chances in part ii to prove their reading skills.

Other benefits include: it is free, the stories were interesting to read, and there was an option to test reading comprehension afterward each story.

Cons for me would exist that the scale does not go beyond 6th grade. It but says six course +. I would have liked to see a scale that goes into high school level.

Other Free Online Reading Level Tests to Try

There are many other resource to try out there to examination your kid's reading level!

Hither are another tests that might be the perfect fit for you and your kid:

Crimson Cat Level Reading Cess

Oxford Owl Online Reading Test

Oxford English Reading Examination

Good and the Beautiful Reading Level Cess

Wide Range Reading Exam

Non Happy with Your Kid's Reading Level Test Results? Try these ideas!

ane. Take a Dissimilar Reading Assessment

Information technology is possible that the examination yous chose just didn't jive with your kid. If you are unsure about the results, don't be shy about waiting a day or ii and then doing another reading test with your kid.

2. Think about what they struggled with the most during the the Reading Level Test

These reading level tests are excellent tools to help you lot pinpoint exactly where your child needs help.

Did your child struggle considering of any of these issues:

• Sounding out

When your child came to an unfamiliar word, did he freeze up, melt down, or requite ridiculous guesses? If so, consider working with your kid on their phonics.

A loftier quality, low toll phonics plan we love is Explode the Code. These elementary workbooks are known for giving kids conviction and raising reading levels.

• Vocabulary

Did your kid manage to sound out a word, but have no idea what it meant? Equally your kid climbs the reading levels, increasing their vocabulary is crucial.

Some simple ways to increase vocabulary are reading aloud to your kid regularly, using college levels of vocabulary around the house, and including vocabulary curriculum in your homeschool.

I recently bought Discussion Roots for my 4th grader and nosotros are then excited about it. It teaches the Latin roots of English language words then that kids tin break down AND understand a big number of difficult words.

• Comprehension

Is your kid reading beautifully, simply has no earthly thought what he just read? Many parents would be jealous of the beautiful reading, but the comprehension is just every bit important – if not more so.

Providing your kids with a continuous period of interesting books that spark their imagination volition help a lot in this area. And I hate to say it, but decreasing their screen time will also dramatically assist.

If your child continues to struggle with comprehension, consider looking into the Reading Detective series. We have added this workbook to our homeschool curriculum and I think it has really stretched my daughter. The workbooks teach children how to clarify a brusk story while answering multiple choice questions AND citing the paragraph or sentence number that proves their answer.

• Fluency

Did your kid painstakingly struggle through sounding out just near every word? Even the short vowel words?

The best thing for fluency is a loftier quality phonics program equally mentioned before and exercise, practice, practise.

I am a huge fan of piece of cake phonics readers and keep multiple sets around the house.  Here are some of our accented favorites:

• Bob Books

• I Can Read It! Books

• Master Phonics Readers

• Now I'thousand Reading! Books

• Tug the Pup Books

• Usbourne Phonics Readers

Recap Reading Level Exam Guide for Kids

Retrieve above all else that a reading level test is a tool to assistance you customize your kid's teaching and help them succeed.

Information technology is not a class for your parenting.

Or a grade for your homeschool.

Y'all are not necessarily a failure or a success no matter how your child scores.

Use these free online reading tests to bulldoze you frontwards and you tin can't get wrong!

Accept you tried an online reading exam that isn't mentioned here? Please share in the comments!

Do you lot want to make sure y'all save all this data for later – smart thinking! Just pin this article to your favorite Pinterest mail service and definitely share with your friends and followers!

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Source: https://www.thesimplehomeschooler.com/test-reading-level-online-free/

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