The child’s reading level will *and should* dictate some of the decisions about book selection. A teacher must know each child’s reading level, so as to recommend books that are at, slightly below, or slightly above that level. This reading level will change throughout the year, and a teacher should take time to update her reading level lists to make sure she is selecting books for the updated levels, and not the levels of a few months ago.

 

In the past few years there have been advances in publishing that take into consideration a child’s interests and reading levels, with focus on books for children whose interests and reading levels don’t align well. Generally you have a correlation of age to reading level and interests. As a child gets older, his reading level will increase and interests will mature as well.

 

There are a few special cases where this may not be true. For instance, a teacher may have a child who is 13 years old, but with a reading level of a third grader. Books based on the emotional maturity and interests of a third grader will likely not appeal to a child in 7th grade. Many publishers have started publishing “high interest, low level” books, to appeal to children in this category. What about a 3rd grader with an 8th grade reading level, but without the emotional maturity you might find in an 8th grader. Books for 8th graders often have violent and romantic themes, but a 3rd grader is not ready for that. How does a teacher select a book that will challenge the reading level, but not overwhelm the age-appropriate emotional maturity? Again, there are subsets of books for children in this situation, and a skilled teacher or librarian should be aware of those books in order to best meet the individual needs of the child.