Finding a Child's Reading Level

My children frequently choose library books that are simply too difficult for them to read. How can I help them find books that they can read by themselves? - Need Help
Answer: Parents need to understand that children have three different reading levels. If children can easily read material by themselves, they are on their independent level. This is the level at which children should read for their own enjoyment. At this level, your children recognize 99 percent of the words. This means that they will make no more mistakes than one word in 100 when reading a passage aloud to you. When material is very interesting, children might be able to read it independently, even though they are making more errors. In counting errors, don't count minor errors such as reading "a" for "the" or forgetting a final "s."
The instructional reading level is the level at which children make about five errors in 100 words and need support from their teachers or parents. When children get bogged down in their reading and make more than five errors in 100, they probably have reached their frustration level. Some students can handle missing more words without getting frustrated; however, missing more than 10 words in 100 is almost always frustrating to children.
Whenever your children select a new book, have them read a page or two aloud to you to make sure they can handle it comfortably.