I decided to start hunting for a reading level test for my kid during my first year of homeschooling.
I had a first grader who had completed her phonics curriculum, but wasn’t really interested in chapter books. She loved for me to read to her, but was not interesting in reading very much herself – which stressed me.
As a frazzled, first-time homeschooler, I wanted to test her reading level to see if she needed more reading instruction, more practice, or if she was right 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 post I am going to share with you everything you wanted to know and more about giving your kid a reading level test.
But First, Avoid Reading Level Tests If…
Your kid is still going through a high quality phonics program, such as All About Reading, Explode the Code, or Primary Phonics.
Let your kid finish the program before worrying about what grade level they may be at.
Most reading tests do not assume that the child is learning phonics (since most kids aren’t) and will rely more heavily on sight words they think the child should have learned by a certain grade.
Taking a reading test with a kid who hasn’t finished their phonics reading curriculum is probably not going to be helpful to a parent or child.
Do Take a Reading Level Test If…
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You have just started homeschooling and have no idea where your kid should be placed for reading.
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You have finished a phonics program, but are still unsure if your kid is where they need to be.
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You think your child might be gifted reader and want to see what level they are testing at.
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You want to make sure your student is progressing, even though they’re not reading aloud to you anymore
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You need to make sure you are buying the right level books for your child to read.
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You 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 last one. Definitely do not test your kid for homeschooling glory.
Hopefully that gave you a laugh, so let’s dive in!
4 Tips for Getting the Best Results When You Test Reading Level
1.Take the Reading Test Yourself
I took a lot of time to explain how the test runs below, but it would be 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 kid.
2. Administer the Reading Test at the Best Time
Make sure that your kid takes the test when they are their best. Is that first thing in the morning, in the evening, or right after 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 Kid Mentally
If you are giving a reading assessment to your kid, there is a good chance that your kid is already a little insecure about reading. Do not 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 big deal, but I do need 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 off of them.
The are not being evaluated – the curriculum is being evaluated.
4. Do Not Share Their Results with Them
When the reading level test is complete, tell them they did well and that you are happy with their effort.
If the score is less than you were hoping for, you don’t want to destroy their confidence. If it’s really high, you don’t want them to be 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!
1. MacMillian Reading Level Test
The MacMillian Reading Level test seems to be one of the most popular and trusted reading level tests out there.
I used it with my daughter a couple years ago and I recently tested my own reading level to refresh myself on their process.
How the MacMillian Reading Level Test Works
Everyone starts at the easiest level. You are provided a picture and a fill-in the blank question. There will be 4 multiple choice options to choose from.
As you answer questions you progress through the levels until you have missed a certain number. Then you are immediately told what level reader you are – Starter, Beginner, Elementary, Pre-Intermediate, Intermediate, Upper-Intermediate, or Advanced.
Interestingly, I found the questions to be a bit slanted towards an understanding of grammar and reading comprehension.
Here is an example of a grammar question. Your kid may be able to read all the words, but does he understand the correct verb agreement?
Pros and Cons of MacMillian Reading Level Test
The benefits of this online reading level test are that it is free, simple to use, and provides you an answer right away (no need to wait for an email).
It is also a great test for a kid who can read, but struggles with comprehension.
The negatives to me are that it seems to be testing more than reading and the results do not provide a grade level. You may not know what to do with an “Elementary Level” result. It is kind of a broad answer.
One More Thing to Know About MacMillian Reading Level Test
The test does not tell your child when they miss a question. I intentionally missed questions in order to see what would happen and it just went to the next question.
This might help if your kid would be stressed by a reading level test – no big red X when they make an error.
2. San Diego Quick Assessment
I have also used this reading level test with my kid – twice actually – and it lives up to its name!
It really is quick!
How the San Diego Quick Assessment Works
Go to this online PDF and print off the four pages.
You will see 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 first column. Use your grader sheet to check off if they read the word correctly or not.
The test helps you break down the results in terms of Independent Level, Instructional Level, and Frustration Level.
Pros and Cons of San Diego Quick Test
The benefits of this online reading level test is that it does give a quick and free snapshot of your kids reading level. No lengthy test that your child gets bored with.
It is also on paper, which many kids do better with than reading off a screen.
The test doesn’t have any context or pictures to help your child. It will really tell you if they can read or sound out the word or not.
Parents will also like that they get a solid grade level result – a little easier to understand and work with.
The only con I have is that determining grade level with just 10 words is pretty arbitrary. You child may know many other grade 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 by 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’s true reading skills.
How the Pioneer Valley Reading Test Works
This online reading assessment is broken into two parts.
Part One: High Frequency Word Reading
The first part consists of words coming across the screen for your child to read. The words are simple at first and then 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 Two: Reading
You 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 end of the story you will be prompted to record the total number of words your child missed and whether or not they struggled to complete the story. Based on those results your child will either move forward or backward on a scale of A-Z. Eventually your child will be assigned a Letter Level and you will see a chart that corresponds to a grade level:
Pros and Cons of Pioneer Valley Online Reading Assessment
I thought this was much more involved and thorough than other tests we have tried.
Even if your child encounters words he doesn’t know in the first part of the assessment, there are still many other chances in part two to show their reading skills.
Other benefits include: it is free, the stories were interesting to read, and there was an option to test reading comprehension after each story.
Cons for me would be that the scale does not go beyond 6th grade. It just says 6 grade +. 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 resources to try out there to test your kid’s reading level!
Here are some other tests that might be the perfect fit for you and your kid:
Red Cat Level Reading Assessment
Oxford Owl Online Reading Test
Oxford English Reading Test
Good and the Beautiful Reading Level Assessment
Wide Range Reading Test
Not Happy with Your Kid’s Reading Level Test Results? Try these ideas!
1. Take a Different Reading Assessment
It is possible that the test you chose just didn’t jive with your kid. If you are unsure about the results, don’t be shy about waiting a day or two and then doing another reading test with your child.
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 pinpoint exactly where your child needs help.
Did your child struggle because of any of these issues:
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Sounding out
When your child came to an unfamiliar word, did he freeze up, melt down, or give ridiculous guesses? If so, consider working with your kid on their phonics.
A high quality, low cost phonics program we love is Explode the Code. These simple workbooks are known for giving kids confidence and raising reading levels.
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Vocabulary
Did your child manage to sound out a word, but have no idea what it meant? As your kid climbs the reading levels, increasing their vocabulary is crucial.
Some simple ways to increase vocabulary are reading aloud to your child regularly, using higher levels of vocabulary around the house, and including vocabulary curriculum in your homeschool.
I recently boughtWord Roots for my 4th grader and we are so excited about it. It teaches the Latin roots of English words so that kids can break down AND understand a large number of difficult words.
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Comprehension
Is your kid reading beautifully, but has no earthly idea what he just read? Many parents would be jealous of the beautiful reading, but the comprehension is just as important – if not more so.
Providing your kids with a continuous flow of interesting books that spark their imagination will help a lot in this area. And I hate to say it, but decreasing their screen time will also dramatically help.
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 analyze a short story while answering multiple choice questions AND citing the paragraph or sentence number that proves their answer.
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Fluency
Did your child painstakingly struggle through sounding out just about every word? Even the short vowel words?
The best thing for fluency is a high quality phonics program as mentioned before and practice, practice, practice.
I am a huge fan of easy phonics readers and keep multiple sets around the house. Here are some of our absolute favorites:
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Bob Books
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I Can Read It! Books
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Primary Phonics Readers
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Now I’m Reading! Books
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Tug the Pup Books
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Usbourne Phonics Readers
Recap Reading Level Test Guide for Kids
Remember above all else that a reading level test is a tool to help you customize your kid’s education and help them succeed.
It is not a grade for your parenting.
Or a grade for your homeschool.
You are not necessarily a failure or a success no matter how your child scores.
Use these free online reading tests to drive you forward and you can’t go wrong!
Have you tried an online reading test that isn’t mentioned here? Please share in the comments!
Do you want to make sure you save all this information for later – smart thinking! Just pin this article to your favorite Pinterest post and definitely share with your friends and followers!
Read Next:
FAQs
How do you test reading level? ›
To determine reading levels using GRL, children sit one-on-one with their teacher and read from a book that's considered standard for their grade level — a “benchmark” book. GRL books range from A to Z with A being the easiest.
How do you assess a child's reading level? ›This is a great way of finding out if the book your child is reading is too challenging. Simply get them to hold up five fingers and each time they come across a word they don't know, they put down one finger. If all five are down before the book is finished, it's at a reading level that is too high.
How do I find the reading level of a book? ›Sometimes you'll find the reading level of a book displayed on the book jacket. You can also easily find the reading level of a book at The Scholastic Store: Simply refer to the “Product Details” section of any product page to find relevant information for several leveling systems.
What reading level should a 7 year old be at? ›Level 7. Recommended reading age 6 - 7 years. Children can read complex sentences fairly fluently, taking note of punctuation. They use expression and do not rely on illustrations to help them.
What reading level should a 10 year old be at? ›Elementary Level: Children ages 8 to 12, or 4th through 6th grades. These children read sentences of approximately 10 words, with the maximum number of words being 20. Most books written at this level range between 20,000 and 40,000 words.
What reading level should a 3rd grader be at? ›Here's a quick recap of the post: 3rd grade reading levels typically fall between a 12 to 25 reading level. Focus on reading for fun, comprehension skills and appropriate levelled reading material.
What are the 4 types of reading assessment? ›There are four main types of reading assessments that are used in schools: Screening, Diagnostic, Progress Monitoring, Summative. Screening assessments are typically administered to all students at the beginning, middle and end of the year to identify students who might be at risk for reading difficulty.
What reading level should a 2nd grader be at? ›In 2nd grade reading, your child should be reading 50 to 60 words a minute at the beginning of the school year and 90 words per minute by the end of the year.
What are the 4 types of assessment? ›A Guide to Types of Assessment: Diagnostic, Formative, Interim, and Summative.
What Lexile level should a 5th Grader be at? ›Your average reader in Grade 5 will fall between 565L and 910L, though there will be readers who fall below the average, and others who are reading at a more advanced level.
How can I test my Lexile level? ›
A student receives his or her Lexile measure from one of two ways: taking a school-administered SRI (Scholastic Reading Inventory) test, which is specifically designed to measure Lexile or reading ability OR by taking a standardized reading test which converts the reader's results to a Lexile measure.
What age should a child read fluently? ›On average, most kids are able to read independently and fluently by the end of third grade, which is around when they are 9-10 years old. Children at this age are able to read simple sentences and storybooks. By age 11-13, your child should begin to use reading as a learning tool.
What is the average reading age for a 12 year old? ›ie. in a mixed-ability class of 12-year-olds, the reading ages would vary from 8 to 16. In a science 'set', selected on the basis of ability in science, the range of reading ability can still be large.
What's the highest reading age? ›- The minimum score for reading is four and the maximum is sixteen years. ...
- Children tend to have little or no reading skills before they begin their formal education. ...
- Some pupils' age equivalent scores fall below the minimum or above the maximum.
...
Oxford Reading Tree.
| Stage 1 | 3.5 to 4.5 years |
|---|---|
| Stage 6 | 6 to 6.5 years |
| Stage 7 | 6.5 to 7 years |
| Stage 8 | 7 to 7.5 years |
| Stage 9 | 7.5 to 8 years |
U.S. illiteracy statistics from the Literacy Project Foundation offer some surprising insights. The average American is considered to have a readability level equivalent to a 7th/8th grader (12 to 14 years old).
What level reading is Harry Potter? ›The Harry Potter book series is Middle Grade, not YA (Young Adult). This means it is generally written for children ages 8-12 and grade levels 3-7.
Is it normal for a 10 year old to not know how do you read? ›It's still fairly common in grade one, and even into grade two, but look at it more closely if you get past age eight, says Truch: “Children who struggle with reading have more reversals for greater lengths of time, sometimes even into adulthood.” Forgetting word spelling in previously mastered words in early ...
What is the average reading level for a 6th grader? ›4th Grade: 38-40. 5th Grade: 40-50. 6th Grade: 50-60. 7th & 8th Grade: 60-80.
What reading level letter should a 4th grader be at? ›As we mentioned above a fourth grader can be reading from about reading level 20 to level 30+ (on Pm benchmark) (in our expereicne) or up to level 40 with the DRA reading levels.
What is the average Lexile score for a 3rd grader? ›
Looking at data acquired from a national sample of students, a typical 3rd grader will have a Lexile score of between 330L and 700L.
How do you assess a struggling reader? ›A grade level passage Ask the student to read orally and then to recall facts and details from the passage in a “retell.” While the student is reading, record any errors to help with identification of the student's specific decoding difficulties.
Which assessment tools is used to measure students reading comprehension? ›Cloze Tests — The cloze test is another common type of assessment measure, more specifically a completion measure aimed at tapping reading skills interactively with learners using both bottom-up and top down global cues such as background knowledge to complete the task.
Which screening tool can be used to test literacy? ›The WRAT 3, cloze test, and REALM tool can be used to test literacy.
What is reading level A? ›LEVEL A BOOKS are written for very beginning readers. The illustrations are simple and clear and support the beginning reader to successfully anticipate what the story is about. The text will have just one, short predictable sentence on each page. The text is very repetitive and uses simple one or two syllable words.
How many reading levels should a student grow in a year? ›An expected 1 year growth may be 3-4 levels; therefore, if they are unable to make these gains each year they will have extreme difficulty reaching the grade level expectation. If your child is reading below grade level at this time, it's not uncommon for them to score lower on classroom assessments.
What level reader should a first grader be? ›Range of Typical reading Levels in First Grade
In the fall, first graders typically independently read at a Level 4. By the end of first grade, a typical first grader will independently read at Level 16. It is important to note that some students may have DRA scores that are above or below the grade-level expectation.
- Examples: a very interactive class discussion; a warm-up, closure, or exit slip; a on-the-spot performance; a quiz.
- Examples: Chapter test; extended essay; a project scored with a rubric.
Measurements to Assess Grade Reading Levels
Dr. Janette M. Hughes - Assessing Reading
Reading Levels Explained: What They Are & How They Are Assessed
A student receives his or her Lexile measure from one of two ways: taking a school-administered SRI (Scholastic Reading Inventory) test, which is specifically designed to measure Lexile or reading ability OR by taking a standardized reading test which converts the reader's results to a Lexile measure.
What is a reading assessment test? ›
The assessment measures reading comprehension by asking students to read selected grade-appropriate materials and answer questions based on what they have read.
What level should grade 1 be reading at? ›In the fall, first graders typically independently read at a Level 4. By the end of first grade, a typical first grader will independently read at Level 16. It is important to note that some students may have DRA scores that are above or below the grade-level expectation.
What level should a 5 year old be reading? ›A 5 year old should be able to read short vowel words like: ham, hat, lad, pet, vet, Ben, him, nip, wit, hop, Bob, dot, cup, fun, pup. Keep in mind that I'm talking about a 5 year old that's been going to Kindergarten for a few months. If your 5 year old has not started Kindergarten, this content is not for you (yet).
Is there an online Lexile test? ›An online reading assessment product from Edmin called Total Reader™ is available to homeschoolers. Total Reader reports a Lexile measure for a young person and monitors his or her reading growth over time.
What is the average Lexile score for a 7th grader? ›Your average reader in Grade 5 will fall between 565L and 910L, though there will be readers who fall below the average, and others who are reading at a more advanced level.
What are the 4 types of reading assessment? ›There are four main types of reading assessments that are used in schools: Screening, Diagnostic, Progress Monitoring, Summative. Screening assessments are typically administered to all students at the beginning, middle and end of the year to identify students who might be at risk for reading difficulty.
What are the 4 types of assessment? ›A Guide to Types of Assessment: Diagnostic, Formative, Interim, and Summative.
What is an example of a reading assessment? ›The most common example of an assessment for fluency is to ask a student to read a passage aloud for one minute. Words that are skipped or pronounced incorrectly are not counted. The number of correct words read is counted and this total equals a student's oral reading fluency rate.
What reading level should a 2nd grader be at? ›In 2nd grade reading, your child should be reading 50 to 60 words a minute at the beginning of the school year and 90 words per minute by the end of the year.
Is my child a gifted reader? ›
Children who have exceptional ability in reading and working with text information are considered gifted readers (Mason & Au, 1990). Gifted readers read voraciously, perform well above their grade levels, possess advanced vocabularies and do well on tests (Vacca, Vacca & Gove, 1991).
What are the 5 levels of reading? ›The five stages of literacy development include emergent literacy, alphabetic fluency, words and patterns, intermediate reading, and advanced reading.
At what age should a child read fluently? ›On average, most kids are able to read independently and fluently by the end of third grade, which is around when they are 9-10 years old. Children at this age are able to read simple sentences and storybooks. By age 11-13, your child should begin to use reading as a learning tool.
What age is Level 9 reading? ›| Stage 1 | 3.5 to 4.5 years |
|---|---|
| Stage 6 | 6 to 6.5 years |
| Stage 7 | 6.5 to 7 years |
| Stage 8 | 7 to 7.5 years |
| Stage 9 | 7.5 to 8 years |
- The minimum score for reading is four and the maximum is sixteen years. ...
- Children tend to have little or no reading skills before they begin their formal education. ...
- Some pupils' age equivalent scores fall below the minimum or above the maximum.