Reading Levels: What Teachers Aren't Told

Is your child stuck at the same reading level for months? If the school keeps saying "not ready to advance" but you know your child can sound out words, this video reveals what's really happening—and what to do instead.

I'm a literacy specialist with 10 years of experience, and I've seen dozens of kids trapped in "Level J land" because the leveling system isn't actually measuring reading ability. It's measuring guessing.

In this video, you'll discover:
✅ What reading levels (Fountas & Pinnell, DRA) actually measure—and what they miss
✅ Why leveled readers teach kids to guess from pictures instead of decode
✅ What the research says about reading levels vs. comprehension (spoiler: there's no connection)
✅ The better alternative: decodable books and structured literacy
✅ Exactly what to ask your child's teacher to know if they're learning real phonics

If your child has been stuck at Level K, Level M, or any reading level for months—or if they're "reading" by memorizing patterns instead of sounding out words—this changes everything.

📥 FREE STARTER KIT: Get my step-by-step guide to switching from leveled readers to decodables → https://theactivereader.com/free-work...

🎯 HELP YOUR CHILD READ WITH CONFIDENCE: The Early Reader Pack teaches phonics the right way with systematic, decodable practice. Perfect for kids ages 4-7 → https://theactivereader.com/the-early...

📚 MORE SCIENCE OF READING RESOURCES: Visit TheActiveReader.com for free guides, lessons, and tools grounded in structured literacy → https://theactivereader.com/

🎥 WATCH NEXT: My full step-by-step playlist on Teaching Reading →    • Teaching Reading Step by Step  

Subscribe to The Active Reader for 2 new videos every week on how to teach kids to read using the Science of Reading—the methods education schools won't teach you.

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0:00 The Reading Level Trap
0:55 What Are Reading Levels?
1:45 The Big Problem with Leveled Readers
2:27 What the Research Actually Says
3:20 The Better Way: Structured Literacy
4:19 What This Looks Like in Practice
5:22 What You Should Do Instead

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