Reading Levels

The method for selecting books is based on what we term the Genre-Theme Nexus Model. As they read, their critical reading and critical thinking faculties become more refined and they are able to make these connections between different ideas seamlessly. They are trained to think beyond the words in the book and dig deeper into the meanings behind the words/plots/characters. The children are encouraged to do this ‘active reading exercise’ with the help of simple and effective tools.

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1. Which Book Are We Reading? The name of the book and its author. An introduction of the author and the context/inspiration for the book (if applicable) is provided.
2. Characters: Name and discuss the main characters in the book.
3. Predictions: Think and discuss how you think the book is going to end. After finishing the book, can you think of alternate endings?
4. Connections: How do you relate to the book? Can you find connections with other stories/characters? Can you find connections with real events/things/people?
5. Reactions: How did the story make you feel? And why?
6. Difficult words: Which were the difficult words in the story? Did you look up difficult words in the dictionary? Did you use context clues to understand new words?

In the Funnel Method of Book Selection we take into consideration the age appropriateness of the book in terms of language and subject matter; the reading level of the child; and finally, the level of comprehension; which can be understood through simple concepts and ideas. The pre-meditated set of books for each level has scope for flexibility depending upon the level of understanding of the child.

The books are carefully selected across different timelines, from literary classics of the 17th century to Contemporary Literature, in what we term the Literary Cherry-Picking Method. Combining these three, we arrive at Seven Levels of Reading.

The Seven Levels of Reading are arrived at through insightful understanding of the children’s interests, in-depth research, and a thorough and close reading of the books. The seven levels have been given names of fantastical creatures from different cultures; starting with Pixie, Raiju, Caladrius, Unicorn, Pegasus, Druk, and finally Airaavat. This is a whimsical way to further ignite the imagination of our young readers. As they move from one level to the next; the children unravel more complicated plots and characters and read longer books. Although the book list for every level is more or less constant, we also keep updating and upgrading it to keep up with the growing world of children’s literature.