The Test My Kid Blog
Practical, growth-minded guidance on math, reading, grade-level expectations, and the test scores schools use, written for parents who want to know where their child really stands.
Sight words are the high-frequency words kids learn to read on sight. Here is the full Dolch list by grade level, from pre-primer through third grade, and the plain-English version of how to practice them without the flash-card grind.
Beestar's free weekly math worksheets show up in your inbox every weekend, and the rankings make your kid feel competitive. Here is what the free program actually is, what the paid tiers buy, and the one thing a leaderboard cannot tell you.
A STAR Reading scaled score is not a grade and not a percentage. Here is what each number on the report means, which one tells you where your child stands, and what the ZPD book range is for.
Your kid is begging for a Prodigy membership and you want to know if it is worth it. Here is what Prodigy Math actually is, what the paid tier buys, and the one thing a game cannot tell you.
The Lexile number on the report does not tell you if it is good on its own. The grade it belongs to does. Here is what a good Lexile score looks like, grade by grade, and the one thing that matters more than the number.
A STAR Math scaled score is not a grade and not a percentage. Here is what each number on the report means, which one tells you where your child stands, and which one parents misread most.
Your child came home talking about their AR level and their ZPD, and the letter never explained either one. Here is a grade-by-grade guide to Accelerated Reader levels, what ATOS actually measures, and why it is a range to read inside, not a score to chase.
NWEA MAP is built for schools, so parents can't run it on demand between the fall, winter, and spring windows. Here is what to look for in an at-home alternative, and an honest comparison of a free one.
Your child's report listed a reading rate, and now you want to know if it is normal. Here is the words-per-minute chart by grade, what counts as on-track, and the caveat that keeps speed in its place.
The math scale score on the iReady report does not tell you if it is good. The placement label does. Here is what a good iReady math score looks like, grade by grade, without the panic.
The reading scale score on the iReady report does not tell you if it is good. The placement label does. Here is what a good iReady reading score looks like, grade by grade, without the panic.
Fact fluency is the bridge between counting on fingers and solving real problems. Here are the home routines that build it, the research behind them, and why speed alone isn't the goal.
Kindergarten through 2nd grade is where reading is built from the ground up, one sound at a time. Here is what on-track looks like at each grade, the milestones behind it, and how to check at home.
The early grades do not look like math, and that is the point. Here is what on-track counting, place value, and fact fluency look like in K, 1st, and 2nd grade, the numbers behind them, and how to check at home.
By middle school, reading stops being about speed and starts being about depth: evidence, argument, and stamina across long texts. Here is what on-track looks like in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade, and how to check it at home.
Middle school is where math turns abstract and quietly bends toward algebra. Here is what on-track looks like in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade, the numbers behind it, and how to check at home in ten minutes.
At this age reading is being built from scratch, so the right book depends on the phase, not the grade. Here is a list for kindergartners and 1st graders, from picture books you read aloud to the first books they read to you.
Third, fourth, and fifth grade are where math quietly shifts from facts you memorize to reasoning you have to explain. Here is what on-track looks like at each of those grades, the numbers behind it, and how to check at home.
Third, fourth, and fifth grade are where reading quietly shifts from sounding out words to using them to learn. Here is what on-track looks like at each of those grades, the numbers behind it, and how to check at home.
iReady is built for schools, so parents can't just check their child's progress between testing windows. Here is what to look for in an at-home alternative, and an honest comparison of a free one.
A Lexile score is not a grade and not a verdict on a book. Here is what the number measures, what the letter codes in front of it mean, and the range to aim for when you pick a book.
Most kids who stall on word problems can already do the arithmetic. The gap is reading the story and deciding what to do. Here is a simple, repeatable routine that fixes it.
Reading the words smoothly is not the same as being ahead. Here is how to tell whether your child is genuinely working above grade level in reading, and what to do about it.
A plain-English, grade-by-grade map of the math kids should master in kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grade, aligned to Common Core, and how to tell what actually stuck.
Middle-grade books get longer and heavier, and the grade on the cover tells you less than ever. Here is a grade-by-grade list for 5th, 6th, and 7th graders, and how to weigh reading level and content for the child in front of you.
A plain-English, grade-by-grade map of the math kids should master in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade, aligned to Common Core, and how to tell what actually stuck before algebra.
The reading RIT on the slip does not tell you if it is good. The percentile does. Here is what a good NWEA MAP reading score looks like, grade by grade, without the panic.
The RIT number on the slip does not tell you if it is good. The percentile does. Here is what a good NWEA MAP math score looks like, grade by grade, without the panic.
'I hate reading' is almost never about reading. It is about the work feeling too hard, too slow, or no fun. Here is how to defuse the resistance, find the skill underneath it, and help your child want to pick up a book again.
Your child's MAP report shows a percentile next to the RIT. Here is what that number actually means, the bands NWEA uses, and how to read it without panicking.
Grades and gut feelings are unreliable. Here are the concrete signs a child is behind in reading, what the word really means, and how to get an objective read this week.
What is a normal NWEA MAP score for your child's grade? Here is the by-grade RIT chart for math and reading, season by season, and how to read it without panicking.
Your child came home with a DRA number and no explanation. Here is a grade-by-grade DRA chart, what the levels actually measure, and why the number is a starting point, not a label.
An iReady scale score is one number on a K-12 ruler, not a percentage or a grade. Here is what a good score looks like by grade, what the placement levels mean, and why the label matters more than the number.
Your child's report card says 'reading level M' and nobody explained it. Here is a grade-by-grade guided reading chart, what the A to Z letters actually mean, and why the letter is a starting point, not a label.
A RIT score is not a percentage and not a grade. Here is what the number actually measures, a rough by-grade reference, and why the percentile matters more.
Your child brought home a Lexile number and no real explanation. Here is a grade-by-grade Lexile chart, what a good Lexile score looks like at each grade, and why the number is a starting point, not a verdict.
A plain-English guide to what 'on track in math' means, the anchor skill for each grade, and how to check at home whether your child is keeping pace.
Picking books by grade is a fine starting point, but the grade on the cover matters far less than the fit. Here is a grade-by-grade list for 2nd, 3rd, and 4th graders, and how to find the level that actually fits your child.
Math trouble rarely shows up as a bad grade first. Here are the signs parents miss, what they mean, and how to tell a fact-fluency gap from a conceptual one before you pick a fix.
Getting your child to read more is rarely a willpower problem. It is usually a fit problem: the wrong book, the wrong level, or too much friction. Here is how to fix the fit and build a reading habit that sticks.
Finishing the worksheet fast is not the same as being ahead. Here is how to tell whether your child is genuinely working above grade level in math, and what to do about it.
When a teacher says your child is behind in reading, the fix is figuring out which layer broke: decoding, fluency, vocabulary, or comprehension. Here is how to find the real gap and close it with short, focused practice.
Fluency is the bridge between sounding out words and understanding them. Here are the home routines that build it, the research behind them, and how to find the right level to practice.
Reading trouble rarely announces itself. Here are the signs parents miss, what they mean, and how to tell a decoding problem from a comprehension one before you pick a fix.
Comprehension is the half of reading you can't hear. Here are the home habits that build it, the research behind them, and how to find the one skill to practice first.
A plain-English guide to what 'reading at grade level' means, how schools measure it with Lexile and MAP, and how to check at home whether your child is on track.
When a teacher says your child is behind in math, the fix is precision, not volume. Here is how to find the one or two skills they actually missed and close the gap with ten focused minutes at a time.
'I hate math' is almost never about math. It is about fear of being stuck or judged. Here is how to defuse the dread, find the specific skill underneath it, and rebuild your child's confidence.
Grades and gut feelings are unreliable. Here are the concrete signs a child is behind in math, what the word really means, and how to get an objective read this week.
A plain-English, grade-by-grade map of the math kids should master in 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade, aligned to Common Core, and how to tell what actually stuck.
Both are adaptive tests schools use to measure reading and math. Here is the plain-English difference between iReady and NWEA MAP, and how to read each score.