Guides

Short, source-cited explainers for the things parents, teachers, and homeschoolers ask us about most. Plain-language, no filler.

For parents

What is a Lexile level?
Lexile measures the difficulty of a text on a numbers scale — 200L is easy, 1500L is dense. Here's how schools use it, what it doesn't tell you, and how to match your child to the right books.
6 min read
Reading level vs. age level — why they diverge
A 4th grader reading at a 7th-grade level isn't reading 7th-grade books. Reading level measures vocabulary; age level measures what themes they're ready for. Here's how to use both.
5 min read
Summer reading without the fight
How to get through an assigned summer reading list with a kid who would rather do literally anything else — without either of you hating June.
6 min read
A parent's framework for age-appropriate books
How to evaluate whether a book on the school list (or the library shelf) is right for your kid this year — without outsourcing the call to a 1-star rating.
7 min read

For teachers

Common Core vs. state standards — what actually differs
41 states adopted Common Core ELA. The other 9, and the states that dropped it, use their own frameworks. Here's what's actually different and what schools do in practice.
8 min read

For homeschoolers

Building a homeschool reading list by grade
A homeschool parent's rubric for choosing 15-25 books per grade that cover literary range, build vocabulary, and keep your child at or above the Common Core rigor band.
9 min read