Everything you need to know about Reading Counts!

For my Sunday night post, I'm going to focus on Reading Counts because I have been getting so many emails! Hoping to clear up a few things and alleviate some of the questions.  

What is a Lexile? 
First, your child took the Lexile test the second week of school. The Lexile test gives your child a Lexile measure, which is their reading ability. It can be anywhere from BR (beginning reader) to 1500. Students use their Lexile measure to find books at an appropriate level of difficulty. I will give the Lexile test at the end of every trimester to monitor your child's reading growth. By the end of second grade your child's Lexile should be between 300 and 600. 

How do the Lexile test and Reading Counts go together? 
Students should be reading books that are within their Lexile range, 100 points below to 50 points above. Once they've read a book, they can take a Reading Counts quiz on it. Now, unfortunately not every single book has a Reading Counts quiz. Most books that are Lexiled have a Reading Counts quiz, but not all. 

How do I know if a book has a Reading Counts quiz? 
Step 1. Visit www.scholastic.com/bookwizard 

Make sure you click Lexile Measure, then type the name of your book and click "Find Books."  

I am going to search for Pete the Cat.

You will see that 32 results come up. Information is provided for each book listed. You can see the book's Lexile measure, but more importantly you will be able to tell if the book has a Reading Counts Quiz. It may be hard to see from the screen shot, but look where it says "Reading Motivation Program. If it has Scholastic Reading Counts! beside it, then it has a quiz. If it only says Accelerated Reader, then it does not have a RC quiz. If it does not list any motivation program, it does not have a RC quiz. 

Where do I find books for my child to read?
DO NOT feel like you need to go out and buy a bunch of books! We have a ton of Reading Counts books at school. I have taught your children how to pick out books in their Lexile level that have RC quizzes. They can bring these books home. You will have to remind them to bring the books home if you want them to read at home. Whenever they finish reading a book, they can take the quiz at school. They do not need to tell me that they are ready to take the quiz, they do it independently. If you want to buy books or check them out from your library, visit www.lexile.com for ideas of books in your child's lexile. Once you've found some books, don't forget to check on Book Wizard if they have a RC quiz. 

Should you email me when your child is ready to take a quiz? 
No, please :) We are teaching them to be independent and responsible. If they need to be reminded, please write them a note in their planners. I have told them many times that they are responsible reading, bringing books home if needed, and taking quizzes. Remember, RC is optional, they do not have to do it. 

What is the Reading Counts goal? 
To motivate your child to read, I give them a Reading Counts goal. If they reach their goal by the date, they can have a picnic lunch with me. It is not the end of the world if they don't reach the goal, and remember the RC program is just extra. It's not graded. 

How do I know how many points each book is worth? 
Visit www.scholastic.com/bookexpert 
Type the name of the book, and you will see SRC! points. Chapter books are generally worth more points. 

How do I know how many points my child has?
Every other Friday I will send home a reading report that lists all of the quizzes they've taken. Your child also knows how to check their progress on their own. 

I hope this helps! I will continue to add to this post as more questions arise. But please, remember Reading Counts is nothing to stress about. The fluency passages, spelling homework and IXL are much more important to focus on. 

I will add a peek at the week by Wednesday.