When Reading Levels Don't Matter Much

A couple months ago we restarted our read aloud time with a new vigor.  It has become the part of the day that is the most rewarding.  The three year old will often listen in when I am reading to the ten year old.  The ten year old will often pick up a book that I have previously read to her and begin to read it on her own, despite the fact that the reading level may be more advanced than the other books she is reading.

I am attempting to slowly build my library of great literature in my home.  I have already gone through our books and taken out the "twaddle", or the books that have very little redeeming value.  I am slowly replacing those books with ones that are excellent literature.  Excellent literature differs for everyone, but I have my own definitions.

Excellent literature to me is literature that I like to read, even as an adult.  I love Christian literature, and have found some wonderful Christian stories that Laura and I have shared.  However, everything we read doesn't have to be Christian.  I love having a large Christian selection because I want those stories of others following Christ to surround us and be a part of us.

Some of the books we read aren't Christian.  That doesn't bother me in the least as long as the stories don't take away from the Christian faith or demean it in any way.  We have read some wonderful books.  Laura read Mother West Wind earlier this year by Thornton Burgess, and she LOVED it!  We often read stories that take us on adventures or introduce us to new cultures.  Some of them are overtly Christian, and some aren't. 

Heart of Dakota uses many different genres both in their curriculum guides and in their reading guide, Drawn Into The Heart of Reading (DITHOR).  I have checked out much of the literature that is used or even just recommended by Heart of Dakota.  I have been very impressed.  The books are wholesome.  They aren't boring.  And I don't, as a parent, have to worry that I am going to pick up a book with questionable content. You see, I am very picky about what goes into my mind and the minds of my children.  Finding a publisher with those same concerns and high values thrilled me.

I love reading. So many of the books I am sharing with my daughter I never got the opportunity to read as a child.  I look forward to sharing these books with my youngest daughter too.  Whether we are going back in time with historical fiction or discovering new worlds with adventure, laughing with humor or having our curiosity peaked with mystery, entering the shoes of another man with biography or empathizing with others in realistic fiction; we are loving the challenge and joy of all the different experiences.

What I have found is that reading levels matter very little.  I try to have Laura reading books in her range, but it can be a broad range.  It all depends on the book.  If the story is great, a lower or higher reading level really has no bearing.  Laura will easily read a book a grade or two below or above her reading level just because she loves the storyline or the characters.  I try to read higher reading levels to Laura in our read aloud time.  She can enjoy much more complicated books read aloud than she might by reading on her own.  On the other hand, she will pick up books I have read aloud to her that are advanced for her and she will read them on her own with no problems.

This method of using different genres is a bit new to me.  I usually just picked up what seemed interesting or went with our studies.  I have to purposely look for books in different genres.  On my own, I have strongly leaned toward biographies and historical fiction.  The problem is that the same type of book can get boring after awhile.  Last year I mixed things up a little by reading Ralph S. Mouse and Runaway Ralph.  When I did that, Laura just blossomed.  She loved the different stories.  We read so much historical and biographical literature with our school studies that it is easy to overdo it.  However, I have found a plan with Heart of Dakota that provides a lot more balance.

I haven't tried DITHOR (Drawn Into The Heart Of Reading) yet, though I am hoping to soon.  Something about having activities and projects to go along with the different genres is intriguing to me.  Anything that makes the wonderful literature come alive for my children is worth looking into.  DITHOR can be used with nearly any book, making it one of the most versatile Christian reading programs on the market. If I want to add books that aren't on the recommended list, like Abeka or ACE novels or a favorite from childhood, I totally can implement them with ease.

I have tried just reading the books.  That works alright. We often enjoy the books just for themselves.  However, I have discovered that sometimes we want a little more.  Laura isn't content with too much reading either.  She likes to spend a little time in each book, and she gets frustrated when she has an overloaded schedule of too much reading and too many books.  She doesn't learn as much and doesn't enjoy her reading.  She begins to read on autopilot, and all the joy leaves.  Instead, we have learned to take things a little slower and not so much at once.  Instead of a race, our reading becomes an enjoyable journey when we slow down a little and live with our stories for awhile.  I have learned that my children like to sometimes do things that coincide with the books, like projects and hands on stuff.  Now, it can get overdone in that direction too, but we have found a nice balance.

 With only three months left in our school year, I am so very grateful for the direction God has taken our reading.  We are delving into new areas and growing, without an outright concern for levels.  As a mom and a teacher, I have learned so much.  Laura is growing too and learning too.  My next goal is to set aside a little more time for independent read alouds with Megan.  I am fully confident that we will flourish as I settle in more and more with the direction God has taken us.