This Teacher Thinks Every Student Should Be Told Their Reading Level Grade

Whether it’s the declining literacy rates reported since before the pandemic or anecdotes of high school students who simply don’t read anymore, you’ve probably heard a thing or two that has made you feel just a tad bit worried about the educational state of the nation.

Teachers are, of course, on the front lines of this burgeoning crisis, and one shared her thoughts on how to potentially combat it in the classroom, and it starts with the concept of reading levels.

“I'm starting to think that we need to be more straightforward with students about their progress and where they're at academically,” said high school teacher Amber, who goes by @amber.mariee44 on TikTok. “I think they need to know what grade level they're performing at.”

Kids are often informed of their reading level through elementary school, but the practice trickles by middle and high school. However, with the National Literacy Institute reporting that an astounding 54% of American adults read below a 6th-grade level, alerting students as they get older could help keep them on track.

Amber shared that she was a bit apprehensive to start sharing reading levels in her classroom.

“I'm hesitant to do this because I know that we don't want students to feel bad about themselves, and I know that we don't know that we don't want to discourage students by showing them their deficits,” she said.

But, she also hoped that giving students the full picture of how their reading abilities compared could offer a source of encouragement.

“I think for a lot of students having a real reality check like that, where it's like, hey, you're in high school, but it looks like you're reading at a fifth grade level,” she explained. “I think some students need that in order to push themselves to actually try in school.”

She shared that she was considering starting giving her students literacy tests at the beginning and end of the year, to give them an understanding of their abilities, and to see how they grow. But, with some uncertainty about how it might make students feel, she asked the TikTok community for feedback.

The response was overwhelmingly positive, with most users agreeing that students being aware of their reading level is important, so long as it’s presented in a compassionate manner.

“As a student I think that would help a lot 😭” one user said.

“If you can show what it means to be at a 5th grade level and how they can improve specifically for each standard, I think it’s completely fine to share with them. Not just the magical arbitrary number,” said another.

“I think there's a difference between ‘don't want them to feel bad’ and ‘don't want them to feel bad about this,’ another user added. “They shouldn't be made fun of for being behind but they should be upset.”

“Taught 8th grade last year- they don’t care until you bring it to their attention,” a teacher shared. “When I actually sat down with them and explained where they were- at least half upped their work effort.”

Literacy is a complicated issue, and there’s an abundance of reasons people can fail to meet standards, including poverty, school funding and learning disabilities. But, for some kids for whom effort is their greatest obstacle, the knowledge of where they stand might very well be the power they need to push on.