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
- What is the Caldecott Medal?
The Caldecott Medal is the American Library Association's annual award for the most distinguished American picture book for children. Here's what it is, how books are chosen, and why teachers reach for Caldecott winners year after year.
5 min read
- What is the Newbery Medal?
The Newbery Medal is the American Library Association's annual award for the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children. Here's what it is, how winners are chosen, and why so many Newbery books end up on school reading lists.
5 min read
- What is the Coretta Scott King Book Award?
The Coretta Scott King Book Award is given by the American Library Association to outstanding African American authors and illustrators of children's and young adult literature. Here's the criteria, the categories, and why these books anchor diverse reading lists.
5 min read
- What is the science of reading?
The science of reading is a body of research from cognitive science, linguistics, and neuroscience describing how people learn to read. Here's what it actually says, where it disagrees with 'balanced literacy,' and why so many states are rewriting their ELA curricula around it.
6 min read
- Banned books in US schools — how challenges and removals actually work
Most US public schools have a formal process for challenging a book. PEN America's Index of School Book Bans tracks removals nationally. Here's the legal frame, how challenges escalate, and what parents can do.
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
- Lexile vs. DRA vs. Guided Reading — comparing reading-level systems
US schools use at least three reading-level systems — Lexile, DRA, and Fountas-Pinnell Guided Reading. They measure different things, scale differently, and don't translate cleanly. Here's how to read each and convert between them.
7 min read
- Reading log requirements by grade — a parent reference
Most US elementary and middle schools require a daily or weekly reading log. Expectations vary by grade. Here's what your child's teacher is probably asking for, why, and how to make it stick without the nightly fight.
5 min read