The Instructional Zone for Reading

I am seeing an occupational therapist right now for recovery from a broken hand. She pushes me hard to progress! When I do the exercises at home however, sometimes I do them wrong and cause pain to the joint that is trying to heal. I can tell the difference between healthy, progress inducing effort; and painful actions that damage or inhibit progress. In teaching children to read we must be aware of the differences between good healthy effort, and anxiety producing frustration.

Reading specialists talk about three levels of reading materials in relation to a student's ability. The first level is the ‘Independent Level’. This is the level at which a student can read easily on her own. She is able to decode the words with very few mistakes, and is able to understand what she is reading. You should keep plenty of books on this level available to your student. They will entertain her and help her to practice reading fluently. Independent level books are excellent for practicing reading with expression so that the meaning comes across. She may be able to read these books to a younger sibling, or a stuffed animal; but if your student reads only at her 'Independent' level, she will never progress as a reader.

The second level of reading is the ‘Instructional Range’, where supervised reading will take place. You could think of it as I think of my sessions with the occupational therapist. This is where growth happens. An instructional level book will continue to offer your student a majority of words that she can easily decode; but there should also be words that are unfamiliar to her. These are words that she can learn with adult assistance for sounding out, practicing a phonics skill, or using a dictionary. Instructional level books should also spark discussion about people’s feelings or intentions, or why a plot may not turn out the way that you expected. This will develop comprehension skills, and help her to look for deeper meaning. In order for a student's reading skills to grow she should spend a lot of time reading at her instructional level. An instructional level book should still be read primarily by the student with an adult following along to assist. Another great approach with this level is to take turns reading every other page. In this way, you will be modeling reading fluency as you go.

The third level of reading is the frustration level. Rather like exercising my healing joint the wrong way, a lot of damage can be done by trying to force a child to read a book that is too difficult for her. Teachers of young children often use the ‘five finger’ rule. When a child starts reading, hold up one finger each time she gets a word wrong. If you get to five fingers before the bottom of the page, the book may be too difficult. Pushing a child to read a book that is too difficult for her will create frustration, and teach her to believe that she is not a good reader. Don't try to determine your child's reading level based on the age range on the back of the book, or by what her friend is reading. Pay close attention to your child's cues. If your child doesn't look forward to reading with you, or her attention is constantly drawn away from the book; if her muscles are tense, and certainly if she's frustrated or stumbling over every other word, then the book is too hard for her.

This is not to say that a book that is too difficult for your student cannot be used at all. A book in your child's frustration range may make an excellent 'read aloud' book. You can use this opportunity to demonstrate fluency to your student. As you read, follow the words with your finger and encourage your student to follow along. If you are a fast reader slow down a bit so that your student's eyes can keep up, but don't read unnaturally. It is important for your student to hear the words flow. You can encourage your student's eyes to follow your finger by stopping once in a while at a word that your student knows, and letting her fill it in. Most children enjoy looking for words they know in a harder text.

Remember that reading should be a joy! Students will progress at their own rate. Provide plenty of interesting books for your students at various reading levels. Focus on materials that will spark interest and encourage success. Be aware of the proper use of independent, instructional, and frustration levels in reading, and take advantage of what each one has to offer to your child! Keep Reading!