A Guideline for English Storybooks came out for the Lower Elementary School Students

A Guideline for English Storybooks came out for the Lower Elementary School Students

 

- Dr. Malbert Smith, “Lexile Measures help your kids improve their English”

 

 A mother of a third grade son is worried about what English books she should buy to help her son improve his English skills, because it is difficult for her to find English books that fit his English level. In addition, she doesn't know what level of books will be appropriate for her son.

Like the mother above, so many parents are in trouble with improving English reading ability of their little kids. Such parents usually buy just best-selling English books for their kids. However, in the case that the child‘s reading level doesn’t match that of the book, it may result in the child becoming overwhelmed and uninterested in English.

MetaMetrics®, developer of The Lexile® Framework for Reading, announced a guideline to selecting English storybooks for the elementary school students. The Lexile Measure is a scientific reading index for English readers to select appropriate levels of English texts for reading. This measure is being used in the 50 states of the United States, where 30 millions of students a year are educated with this measure. It has been proved as a trusted measure for assessing English reading level and English text difficulty level.

1. Do not choose English books based on kids' age.
The age does not indicate the child‘s reading ability. Most Korean mothers tend to choose their children’s English books based on age, but this isn‘t helpful. English books should be chosen according to the child’s unique reading level to keep improving their English skills.

2. Measure your kids' reading level in advance.
Although kids have a speaking ability through earlier English education and overseas study, it does not necessarily correspond to their English reading ability. Therefore, it is important to identify kids' reading ability first so that you can have the English reading plans effectively. For a list of international assessments that report out a Lexile measure, visit http://www.lexile.com/about-lexile/How-to-get-lexi...

3. Plan reading methods and schedule according to the child's Lexile measure.
After you have measured your child‘s Lexile measure, choose books ranging from 50L higher to 100L lower than your child’s Lexile measure. If your child has 340L, for instance, books between 240L~390L will be appropriate. A child with a 340L can comprehend 75% of a 340L book. To achieve significant growth in reading abilities, daily reading is recommended.

4. Select English books that interest your children.
Besides Lexile Measure, another important aspect to keep in mind is the child's interests and concerns when you choose English books. It is advisable to choose English books that fit Lexile measure among the books your kids feel interested in and curious.

5. Plan the English reading schedule
Regular reading habit is essential in improving English reading abilities. Parents should select time per day, week, and month to read together with their children. If your kids are young, parents should be with them. In the case that kids finish reading on schedule, parents should give them proper little prizes.

In case of being unable to assess your child's Lexile measure and children who have just started to read English books or are too young, it is recommended that they should get English storybooks that have more pictures, a few words, and repetitive English expressions. In addition, reading storybooks with mothers regularly is helpful. It is also very important to encourage and compliment your child not to be under stress of English.

Dr. Malbert Smith III, President of MetaMetrics, said, “Learning the English language, like any skill, takes time and practice. Lexile measures help young language learners maximize their practice time by connecting them with the right resources for developing their English skills.” He also added, ”I am thrilled that Korean students will make the most of Lexile measures in selecting and studying independently the books that are best suited for their reading levels."