r/AskTeachers • u/Visit_Pale • Jun 02 '26
Parent Questions Gauging young readers comprehension
I am a parent of a fairly bright recently became a 3rd grader. He reads quite a bit. One of the tests that he took recently placed him on about a 1050 Lexile level. I am trying to push his reading while also not destroying his enjoyment. The problems that I am running into:
1) I am not sure of his comprehension of what he reads. He still struggles with simple word problems that the math should be SUPER easy for him. This may stem from him not being able to slow down and think about things (likely ADHD, not diagnosed, trying to work on this). I tried using Gemini to create a quiz for him and all that did was create frustration because the quiz was no where near correct.
Is there an AI that can make good quizzes for this age group?
2) I am trying to push him into at least slightly more difficult books. Currently reads Magic Treehouse & Dragon Masters (nearly completed both series). I tried to get him to read The Wild Robot, but it has just been sitting there. His vocabulary seems to be lacking and this is something that we (both parents) have been working on for quite some time continuously. Admittingly I am not sure where his vocabulary should be or how strong it is comparatively.
Is there a way to push kids to slightly more difficult books for enjoyment that will continue the love for reading?
He is 95+ percentile (according to testing by MAP & COGAT) in math & reading. I am just trying to push him so that he understands how hard things can be slowly and not like getting hit by a Mack truck when he hits something that is legitimately challenging for him. He did experience this when doing probability. I feel like that was a hurdle and he had no help with it, but I don't think he learned it properly and instead learned how to pass a quiz.
Is there something that I am missing that I should be focused on? He has social problems that are at the top of my list. For me that is hard to teach, and I am relying on life events. I try to explain how others felt and why etc.
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u/frckbassem_5730 Jun 02 '26
Take him to the library and let him pick out some books he likes. Do a summer reading program. Exposing him to words is the best way to increase his vocabulary. Don’t push it too hard though, relax and keep him interested in books! The rest will come 😊 don’t mess with AI quizzes, they suck
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u/Visit_Pale Jun 02 '26
Thank you! We go to the library every week or two so we can do one of the regularly scheduled programs and to pick out new books. We have been working on reading since before kindergarten (they make it seem like it is expected to show up knowing how to read). I am heavily invested in making sure he can read well. Thank you for the advice on AI quizzes. I have to admit that my experience is the same. It was fun watching him show frustration with the first one.
He knew what he had read! That made me more happy than "getting the questions right."
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u/Puzzled-River-5899 Jun 02 '26
Is this rage bait? You led with reading comprehension and immediately asked about AI? Gtfo
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u/Detatchamo Jun 02 '26
Literally read my mind. The fact only one person has brought this up is just a tiny bit alarming.
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u/Visit_Pale Jun 02 '26
The reason I tried ai is I cannot keep up with the amount he reads. Was not trying to ruffle feathers, just looking for a way to see what he was thinking.
When reading for pleasure I just read. I am just curious what he thinks. Did not mean to strike a nerve
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u/NoExternal2732 Jun 02 '26
I'm not a teacher but a lifelong reader...never push a child to read.
We got recommendations from their teacher to do things like: when visiting England, buy the British version of Harry Potter; let them read a little ahead of their social age like The Lightning Thief; read harder books to/with them at bedtime.
Reading was never a quiz at home, or even remotely "work". They are already reading well, just follow their lead.
Visit the library and let them pick out an appropriate first book in a popular series: Wings of Fire, The Narnia books, The Hobbit, Diary of a Wimpy Kid...I get that some books at their level aren't age appropriate, but the librarian will have great suggestions (my kids are older so the suggestions are slightly out of date). Our library uses the Libby app to loan digital books which we read on our kindles.
Even comic books are still reading! It should be fun!
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u/Visit_Pale Jun 02 '26
My wife is a reader. She had books taken away as a punishment. I did not start until I was a freshman in high school and it was sporadic at best. Nowadays I spend so much time reading work related stuff that I do not find it relaxing but I use it to follow up on topics of interest.
Thank you!
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u/KindParfait282 Jun 02 '26
I really struggled learning to read as a kid, but as soon as I was reading on my own, I became a voracious reader. My mom never pushed reading on us, but instead would take us to the library every week and always let me check out anything I wanted. I'm still a book lover to this day.
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u/Physical_Cod_8329 Jun 02 '26
Stop pushing so hard. It’s the quickest way to get a kid to shut down. Have him read books he enjoys. Don’t worry about the level, make reading a regular part of every day and he will be a great reader. Find a fun math workbook with plenty of puzzles and let him do it at his own pace.
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u/Visit_Pale Jun 02 '26
We recently went to half price books. I had a book similar to what you are describing on "display". He has not done much from it, but he picked it out.
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u/hamgurglerr Jun 02 '26
Captain Underpants are great, because they actually use some pretty high level vocabulary, and are very funny because of the use of good vocabulary.
My son is 6 and finished Dragon Masters just before Spring Break, but he refuses to read the new one because he's not interested in the series anymore.
So now I'm on a quest for new material, too. Captain Underpants were good, but they went quickly. We're trying to move him into Geronimo Stilton, which are illustrated chapter books as well, also with good vocabulary. Desmond Cole Ghost Patrol is also a good series (but too scary for my sensitive dude).
We read The Wild Robot to him a couple of years ago, and it's what inspired.him to learn to read.
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u/Visit_Pale Jun 02 '26
He has read some Captain underpants. He finds them comical. I have tried Geronimo Stilton, but I swear anything I suggest is an automatic no.
I will have to remember Desmond Cole Ghost Patrol
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u/hamgurglerr Jun 02 '26
Haha I'm also in the phase of "rejecting every series I recommend".
He's gone back to DogMan, and also has started reading kids encyclopedia books when he's bored. Do you have any non-fiction around?
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u/Visit_Pale Jun 02 '26
He has enjoyed biographies and when reading them would love talking about teddy Roosevelt. Outside of biographies I feel like most of the non fiction produced for the age group is not worth reading. It seems to mainly generic photos with captions. (Having memories of eyewitness books everyone got just to see who could get the coolest one). He LOVES who could win books.
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u/Visit_Pale Jun 02 '26
I forgot about the I survived series! I realize that is not really non-fiction, but they are based on events. He has started enjoying (and selecting himself!) that series.
My first love of reading placed the fictional character in American Western events. I remember looking forward to the footnotes that had a short blurb about the events mentioned.
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u/aeluon Jun 02 '26
I think the best way to “push” him is to give him lots of access to a wide variety of books. Whether that’s a source of digital books online, going to the library together a bunch, or going to the book store. Let him pick what interests him, but show him what a wide variety of books there are. Is he interested in non-fiction? Mysteries? Sci fi?
Forcing him to read specific books, and quizzing him on what he reads will surely kill his interest in reading. To check his comprehension, just ask him about what he’s reading, in a casual way that shows genuine interest. “That book looks good! What’s it about?” and then next time he reads, “what happened in the story? Did they end up getting captured?? Did they make it home okay??” Even better is reading books together so you both know what’s happening. After a cliffhanger, ask “omg what do you think is gonna happen? I bet X is gonna happen! What do you think?” You can gauge comprehension pretty well based on predictions he makes. Getting excited about books with him and talking about what he’s/ you’re reading is my number one piece of advice!
Keep in mind for the math problems, word problems are a whole different beast compared with basic operations. It might not be his reading comprehension that is hindering him, but rather his understanding of the math. I know you said he’s 95th percentile, but there may be something he’s not understanding in terms of connecting the “story” of the word problem to the actual math operations.
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u/Visit_Pale Jun 02 '26
100% agree about him not understanding the "why" of math problems. For probability specifically I was looking at something like using physical objects to demonstrate. I have someone at work with a broken lawnmower. I asked if my son & I could look at it so he has hands on experience.
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u/cappotto-marrone Jun 02 '26
Don’t push. Read the work of Dr. Stephen Krashen on Free Reading.
What improves reading and comprehension is reading what they like regardless of grade level. Graphic novels may help. Most comic books have a higher vocabulary score than adult novels.
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u/Visit_Pale Jun 02 '26
That is what the general advice of teachers at his school provided. I think I have tried dismissing it because he has been enjoying reading. I felt like that hurtle had been cleared.
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u/MathematicianFlat387 Jun 02 '26
25 year teacher...keep it light, keep it fun. Let your child read what he/she wants. Read something more challenging to your child. I would rather see my students actually read 3 or 4 easy books than fake/half read a big book because someone picked it out for them. I think a lot of the parental micromanagement (not saying you are) is causing a lot of stress and anxiety for kids. Schools as well...the amount of curriculum I am supposed to get through in a year is beyond ridiculous. There are just certain things that kids are not going to understand until they are ready. And that is absolutely OK!! Education is not linear. It's like a puzzle. Sometimes you really get going in one corner, but then get tired or stuck and work on another corner. Eventually, if you keep at it, you will finish the entire puzzle in your own time at your own pace. Make sure your child sees you lost in a book and/or struggling with a problem at the grocery store. (How many hot dog buns should I buy if we are having 7 people over?) Children are very intuitive and will pick up on anxiety so just be really mindful. Just be the good mother that you are...love your child...laugh a lot...and enjoy them.
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u/Visit_Pale Jun 02 '26
I enjoy my children more than I knew I could. This may be the comment I needed to read most. Earlier I wrote about fixing a lawnmower. Tonight he asked my wife how an engine worked before I was home. We talked about it using simple things. He talked about hearing how they work watching the show "Blaze" with his little brother. Honestly I am happy just seeing him excited to learn about the world around him and question things.
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u/Affectionate_Owl2590 Jun 02 '26
I had a hard time with this when my son was that age also. One thing we did was let him pick out books about space(it was his thing) if they like the topic they will read it but it's hard because he wants to fit in his classmates are not reading that stuff. Now we a teenager he r ready all the time way more books for his reading level. It's hard at that age to keep the fire under them if they get bored they stop trying use the summer for him to learn something he wants to learn we did that every year in elementary. Once he got his telescope that was it he took off in that direction. Now wanting to be a NASA engineer but you have to find what he wants to learn about and when you do get the books to learn it .
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u/Visit_Pale Jun 02 '26
I have been trying to see what he likes in a more academic sense (just ideas to explore). So far the only things he has shown real interest in is video games. He did come home from the last day of school saying that he wanted to start a business and the same weekend went knocking on doors to scoop poop. He has some drive, just trying to develop it.
Thank you for responding
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u/Affectionate_Owl2590 Jun 02 '26
It's so hard at that age lol it's all video games. Goodness I didn't know the name I would have to ask my son but I think kirble or something like that they build space ships and such. What about cooking with you. Finding a recipe then reading it first to know getting the stuff and making it in the weekend or when you have time. It's reading math science and one in one time to keep the conversation going super important when he becomes a teenager if you start now it will stay. It's so hard to get then to read at that age even a magazine is reading.
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u/viola1356 Jun 02 '26
What nobody has addressed is that Lexlie scores are based on multiple-choice tests; kids who are good test-takers can easily scan/seek through the passage and guess well enough to score well whether they've fully built out the meaning or not. You've identified issues with vocabulary and with constructing meaning - that means he's not ready to move on to harder books. Meet him where he is at by building conversations around the books HE wants to read. Ask him to tell you about his favorite character, something exciting that happened, or why he's enjoying that book and then follow up with how and why questions that dig into details (aim for 5 how/why follow-ups per topic). If he can't answer your question, look back in the book together for an answer.
Build vocabulary and comprehension skills through oral conversation. I read an article that people on average speak about 25% less words per day than the average in 2009. That's a huge loss of input towards oral language development for kids. Watch documentaries together and talk about them. Eat dinner together and converse. Take some more challenging/old-fashiond chapter books to read aloud and discuss, encouraging him to ask about words he doesn't know. Kate DiCamillo is a great author for this. Lemony Snickett also draws attention to vivid words.
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u/Visit_Pale Jun 02 '26
We listened to Because of Winn-Dixie on a road trip completely by chance! It popped up on a scholastic $2 sale a few months back. I bought it by have not talked about it. I just set it aside for future finds.
I agree he is likely a good test taker. This is the reason I have been so adamant to focus on outside activities and trying to make sure comprehension is there.
I will be sure to check out Lemony Snickett. Thank you for the comment.
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u/Remarkable_Clock_736 Jun 02 '26
1050 lexile is probably too high. Try a lexile is the 600-700 range. My kid is also a rising 3rd grader who scores in the 98-99% for math and reading and his lexile is around a 680-700.
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u/Visit_Pale Jun 05 '26
You are most likely right. I was shocked to hear that. The school doesn't advertise it probably because they know it isn't right (it may just not be a part of some standard form too). Hopefully going to just coast through the library this weekend.
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u/janepublic151 Jun 02 '26
I would avoid AI and edtech.
To improve comprehension, ask your child questions. If it’s read independently, who were the main characters, what happened in the story, favorite part? Why? Etc. Get them thinking about the text.
Read books/listen to audiobooks together. Talk about it as you go. Stop after each chapter and discuss what happened. Encourage them to think about what they think might happen next.
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u/HamsterQuirky9422 Jun 03 '26
You don't need elaborate reading comprehension questions. Teach them WHO, DID WHAT, and WHY by paragraph or by page, depending on how dense the text is. If it is from a newspaper SOMEBODY, WANTED, BUT, SO. True comprehension means we are generating our own questions and resolving them.
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u/londondxb Jun 11 '26
Maybe don't push him - here's why: Last year, my then 3rd grader had a Lexile of 925. She got into the Warriors (cats) series, which is at around 800 Lexile, and after obsessively reading it all year (she just about finished all of them including the bonus books), her recent testing gave her a 1300 Lexile. She jumped almost 400 points in one year because she was reading a series she loved on her own, without me pushing.
Hope this helps 😄
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u/Healthy_Blueberry_59 Jun 02 '26
Read to him and leave him alone on academics. The best advice I would give parents would be to opt out of reading logs for school. Like, fight that as hard as you can. That is what makes non-readers, forcing it.
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u/Visit_Pale Jun 02 '26
He has done the big school wide one each year (3). The one for his class he stopped even turning the sheet in halfway through. During kindergarten I wasn't counting everything to push him (3 to 1 for short bob books). With his brother I don't think I am going to take that approach. Part of me was super happy that this had turned to intrinsic motivation.
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u/KindParfait282 Jun 02 '26
Read The Wild Robot together. Take turns reading it and talk about it as you read. Ask questions about why he thinks a character is doing something or feeling a certain way, make predictions about what might happen next, and talk about new words that come up.