When your child comes to the library, how do you know they are choosing appropriate books for their reading level? While we do not level our books in our library (more on that below), we do teach the students the Five Finger Rule.
This method of flipping to a random page within a book and checking to see how many words the student does not know/recognize, helps them individually determine if a book is a “just right” fit for them.
Why isn’t the library leveled?
This is a question that we get a lot...and usually from students! My job as a librarian, first and foremost, is to put books in the hands of students. Whether the book is a level ‘S’ or a level ‘K’ is irrelevant as long as the child enjoys it and it helps develop their love of reading. Ideally, this book will be at the appropriate reading level: it will challenge them but will not be so difficult as to dissuade them from finishing it. If that book is higher than their reading level, perhaps offer to read the book aloud with them before bed each night. Take turns, explain the new words and journey with them through the story, guiding them along the way. If the book is too easy, know that they have picked it because they enjoy it. Celebrate the fact that they are reading and encourage them to pick more books that they enjoy reading!
Classroom books tend to be leveled. Students are guided to the sections that match their “level” and sometimes do not get the choice to simply read what they want. As teachers it is our job to help students learn to read and become better readers, to increase their vocabulary and their understanding of how stories are structured. While leveled books certainly have their place in the classroom, the library is usually one of the only places where students have the freedom to choose exactly what it is they want to read.
One of the (many) benefits of having multiple libraries at our school is that you can rest assured knowing that the books in the ES Library collection have been selected by myself and previous librarians to match the needs of our ES students. They are appropriate and cover a wide range of genres, topics, and types of literature to help match the interests of our students. Giving the students the choice of picking any book in the ES Library means allowing them the opportunity to select for interest, rather than level.
As Maya Angelou said, “Any book that helps a child form a habit of reading, to make reading one of his deep and continuing needs, is good for him.”