Often times parents have difficulty determining if a book is at the right reading level for their child. When in doubt, I recommend using the Five Finger Rule.
The Five Finger Rule
- Have your child choose a book he wants to read.
- Ask your child to open to a page in the middle of the book and begin to read. He should hold up a fist.
- Each time he comes to a word that he doesn’t know or is difficult for him to pronounce, ask him to put up a finger.
- If he gets to the end of the page and he has five fingers up, the book is “too hard.”
- If he has no fingers up, the book is “too easy.”
- If he has 1-2 fingers up, the book is “just right.”
You want the book to have a few challenging words, but not so many that your child becomes frustrated with reading and fails to comprehend what has been read. Eventually, your child should be able to use this tool to help him choose books independently. So the next time you are in the library or the book store and your child picks up a book to read, ask him to use the Five Finger Rule to determine if it’s at the right reading level for your child.
©2010 by Dawn Little for Literacy Toolbox. All Rights Reserved. All Amazon links are affiliate links and may result in my receiving a small commission. This is at no additional cost to you.
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