STAR Reading tests

[ZirconBlue]

My daughter came home from school yesterday with a STAR Reading Diagnostic Report, which seems to indicate a reading level of 11th-12th Grade. I know she's an excellent reader, well above grade level, but that seems crazy considering she's just starting 3rd Grade.

Anyone know anything about these tests? How much should I be bragging about this?

 

[DavidS]

How much should I be bragging about this?

Some, but don't let it distract you from your new mission:

KEEP THAT GIRL SUPPLIED WITH GOOD READING MATERIAL.

The more she reads, the more she'll have to think about, the more she'll think about it. With all that thinking practice she should get pretty good at it She'll grow up happier, safer, and more successful.

Then you can do some real bragging.

 

[ZirconBlue]

KEEP THAT GIRL SUPPLIED WITH GOOD READING MATERIAL.

Easier said than done, sometimes. She reads so fast she's constantly needing new material. I've started just downloading books for the Kindle to keep up.

Right now she's reading books that I first read in 5th/6th grade.

 

[Lucian]

My daughter came home from school yesterday with a STAR Reading Diagnostic Report, which seems to indicate a reading level of 11th-12th Grade. I know she's an excellent reader, well above grade level, but that seems crazy considering she's just starting 3rd Grade.

Anyone know anything about these tests? How much should I be bragging about this?

Easier said than done, sometimes. She reads so fast she's constantly needing new material. I've started just downloading books for the Kindle to keep up.

Right now she's reading books that I first read in 5th/6th grade.

Brag like crazy, but spare a few minutes to worry about 11th and 12th graders, who are apparently reading at 5th/6th grade level.

 

[ZirconBlue]

Brag like crazy, but spare a few minutes to worry about 11th and 12th graders, who are apparently reading at 5th/6th grade level.

Well, I always read above my grade level, too.

 

[tesscaline]

Easier said than done, sometimes. She reads so fast she's constantly needing new material. I've started just downloading books for the Kindle to keep up.

Right now she's reading books that I first read in 5th/6th grade.

This is what libraries are great for!

I can identify with your daughter's position, as I was reading at similar levels when I was her age. And yeah, when you read like that, you go through books faster than anyone knows what to do about. During the summer, I'd go to the library, check out a stack of books (5 or 6) 300 pages long each, and finish them within 2 days, so have to go back to the library again.

Brag all you like to your friends, but don't make a huge deal out of it with your daughter. Being smart, especially as a girl, can sometimes be something that your peers will tease you about. And kids are cruel, so that teasing can be pretty vicious.

 

[madurobob]

My daughter came home from school yesterday with a STAR Reading Diagnostic Report, which seems to indicate a reading level of 11th-12th Grade. I know she's an excellent reader, well above grade level, but that seems crazy considering she's just starting 3rd Grade.

Anyone know anything about these tests? How much should I be bragging about this?

I dunno, is that 11th-12th grade level based on the current average reading ability in NC, or nationwide?

 

[Dancing David]

My daughter came home from school yesterday with a STAR Reading Diagnostic Report, which seems to indicate a reading level of 11th-12th Grade. I know she's an excellent reader, well above grade level, but that seems crazy considering she's just starting 3rd Grade.

Anyone know anything about these tests? How much should I be bragging about this?

STAR reading isn't bad, but it is just an assesment, I agree with the other posters, encourage her to read.

I am not sure exactly how the level system in STAR translates to grade level.

 

[wardenclyffe]

Clearly, your daughter is very smart. Once one can really read, though, I don't know what the grade level differences really indicate. Is a 12th grade reading level really much different than a 9th grade reading level? Is it different than the reading level of a 50 year old? Once you get it, you get it. What does she like to read? 12th grade text books? I'm sure she can, but I think it's a good sign that she likes reading 3-4 grades above where she is. She's advanced, which is great, but she's not an adult which would be creepy.

Ward

 

[tesscaline]

Clearly, your daughter is very smart. Once one can really read, though, I don't know what the grade level differences really indicate. Is a 12th grade reading level really much different than a 9th grade reading level? Is it different than the reading level of a 50 year old? Once you get it, you get it. What does she like to read? 12th grade text books? I'm sure she can, but I think it's a good sign that she likes reading 3-4 grades above where she is. She's advanced, which is great, but she's not an adult which would be creepy.

Ward

12th grade is a far cry from 5th grade, or 3rd grade. Someone reading at a 12th grade level can demonstrate a more complex and evolved vocabulary, as well as the ability to absorb, understand, and describe complex and abstract concepts to a much greater degree than a lower reading level.

It's not just about reading the words. Anyone who's mastered basic phonics can sound those out most of the time. It's about understanding the words, and the concepts conveyed by them. Being able to pick up on subtleties and contexts.

And yeah, that can vary a great deal between different grade levels.

 

[ZirconBlue]

This is what libraries are great for!

I can identify with your daughter's position, as I was reading at similar levels when I was her age. And yeah, when you read like that, you go through books faster than anyone knows what to do about. During the summer, I'd go to the library, check out a stack of books (5 or 6) 300 pages long each, and finish them within 2 days, so have to go back to the library again.

The library where we used to live had a limited selection, but we've recently moved, so I'll have to check out the local library here.

Brag all you like to your friends, but don't make a huge deal out of it with your daughter. Being smart, especially as a girl, can sometimes be something that your peers will tease you about. And kids are cruel, so that teasing can be pretty vicious.

Yeah. I tried to make sure she knows that it's something to be proud of, but I make an effort to praise her for "hard work" rather than how "smart" she is.

I dunno, is that 11th-12th grade level based on the current average reading ability in NC, or nationwide?

The latter.

12th grade is a far cry from 5th grade, or 3rd grade. Someone reading at a 12th grade level can demonstrate a more complex and evolved vocabulary, as well as the ability to absorb, understand, and describe complex and abstract concepts to a much greater degree than a lower reading level.

It's not just about reading the words. Anyone who's mastered basic phonics can sound those out most of the time. It's about understanding the words, and the concepts conveyed by them. Being able to pick up on subtleties and contexts.

And yeah, that can vary a great deal between different grade levels.

A couple of years ago, she asked for a dictionary, so we got her a nice kids' dictionary with a lot of pictures, etc. Last Christmas, she asked for a "real" dictionary, since her dictionary didn't have all the words she wanted to look up in it.

 

[wardenclyffe]

12th grade is a far cry from 5th grade, or 3rd grade. Someone reading at a 12th grade level can demonstrate a more complex and evolved vocabulary, as well as the ability to absorb, understand, and describe complex and abstract concepts to a much greater degree than a lower reading level.

It's not just about reading the words. Anyone who's mastered basic phonics can sound those out most of the time. It's about understanding the words, and the concepts conveyed by them. Being able to pick up on subtleties and contexts.

And yeah, that can vary a great deal between different grade levels.

I get that. My point was that the daughter, while capable of reading at a 12th grade level, prefers reading at a 5th or 6th grade level. That's still really advanced. I think it's awesome that on a test she can prove her ability to understand complex vocabulary and abstract subjects, but she's still a little girl who enjoys reading Arthur Conan Doyle rather than Nietzsche. It sounds like the best of both worlds for a parent (I'm not one, so I'm just guessing).

Ward

 

[ZirconBlue]

I get that. My point was that the daughter, while capable of reading at a 12th grade level, prefers reading at a 5th or 6th grade level. That's still really advanced. I think it's awesome that on a test she can prove her ability to understand complex vocabulary and abstract subjects, but she's still a little girl who enjoys reading Arthur Conan Doyle rather than Nietzsche. It sounds like the best of both worlds for a parent (I'm not one, so I'm just guessing).

Ward

A slight correction. She is reading books that I read for pleasure during 5th-6th grade, but I'm not sure what grade level those books were. (I was pretty consistently ahead of grade level in most subjects.) For example, she's recently been reading some of the Xanth books.

 

[AdMan]

Brag like crazy, but spare a few minutes to worry about 11th and 12th graders, who are apparently reading at 5th/6th grade level.

Seriously, ZirconBlue, I think that is great! Keep encouraging her to read.

With regards to material, I understand Amazon is going to enable library book borrowing on the Kindle sometime soon.

I was a voracious reader as a kid. In fact, I read a whole lot more than I do now...

 

[tesscaline]

A slight correction. She is reading books that I read for pleasure during 5th-6th grade, but I'm not sure what grade level those books were. (I was pretty consistently ahead of grade level in most subjects.) For example, she's recently been reading some of the Xanth books.

You're letting a 3rd grader read Xanth?

Speaking as a fellow Piers Anthony reader... That's really not age appropriate. And I'm really liberal as to what I consider age appropriate.

But I read Piers Anthony when I was 12. And even that was really too young for the concepts and imagery he put forth, emotionally speaking.

 

[ZirconBlue]

You're letting a 3rd grader read Xanth?

Speaking as a fellow Piers Anthony reader... That's really not age appropriate. And I'm really liberal as to what I consider age appropriate.

But I read Piers Anthony when I was 12. And even that was really too young for the concepts and imagery he put forth, emotionally speaking.

Only the first few. Anthony has some serious. . . issues. . . but they don't manifest themselves much until a little later in the series.

 

[ZirconBlue]

With regards to material, I understand Amazon is going to enable library book borrowing on the Kindle sometime soon.

I am SO looking forward to that.

 

[tesscaline]

Only the first few. Anthony has some serious. . . issues. . . but they don't manifest themselves much until a little later in the series.

Ah. Okay.

If she likes fantasy novels, can I suggest some Eddings? I've got my son (12 yrs old) hooked on those.

 

[Sam.I.Am]

I was the same way, reading 7-8th grade+ level books (~90% comprehension) in the 3rd and 4th grade. The rest of my education suffered from it though as I had less time for subjects like math when I was reading so much. I could burn through about 1,000 pages every week and a half or so.

My advice from personal experience is to slow her roll a bit and don't let her other subjects slide off to the side in her rush to read something new. Balance is important at that age. My own math skills still suffer almost 40 years later because I neglected some of the basics early on in order to read as much as I could.

Just my own two cents.

 

[ZirconBlue]

Ah. Okay.

If she likes fantasy novels, can I suggest some Eddings? I've got my son (12 yrs old) hooked on those.

Thanks. I've only read the first book of the Belgariad (and I didn't read it until I was in my 30s), but my wife enjoyed them when she was younger, and they're in a box around here somewhere.

I was the same way, reading 7-8th grade+ level books (~90% comprehension) in the 3rd and 4th grade. The rest of my education suffered from it though as I had less time for subjects like math when I was reading so much. I could burn through about 1,000 pages every week and a half or so.

My advice from personal experience is to slow her roll a bit and don't let her other subjects slide off to the side in her rush to read something new. Balance is important at that age. My own math skills still suffer almost 40 years later because I neglected some of the basics early on in order to read as much as I could.

Just my own two cents.

Good advice, thanks. I'll make sure to keep an eye out for that sort of issue.