It isn't uncommon these days for schools to replace qualified, trained, teacher librarians with unqualified, inexperienced teachers or clericals. Therefore, when I received an email this week from someone identifying themselves as "a person who is going to be in charge of a library in the upcoming year', and who wanted information about giving reading levels to the collection's books, I couldn't help but write a response. If you are a trained and qualified school librarian, you are well versed in the arguments and know why they are a bad idea. If you a a complete novice to school libraries, it seems like a great way to ensure that students find a book at their reading level without having to know your collection.
For me this is not just a question of 'to level or not to level' your collection. It is more a matter of why someone in charge of a school library should know what they are doing. I have found that the uninitiated either have no idea what a librarian does all day, or they think they know but miss the mark by a mile. It is an overwhelming role once you start to dig down. So much to learn, so many skills to acquire. In fact I can't imagine starting in the role if you don't at least have a mentor. You would fumble with the known unknowns and never discover the unknown unknowns (to paraphrase Joseph Luft (1916–2014) and Harrington Ingham (1916–1995).
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Reading levels, reading levels, reading levels. I know that there a lots of arguments for and against but this is mine against, in my library and for me: I have found that children find their own level. If the book is too difficult for them, they will often tell you it is 'boring' but that usually means that they found it too difficult to read. I then suggest something else. One of my questions to them, if I don't know them well, is to ask what the last book was that they read and really enjoyed. This information can often give me ideas of the type of book they enjoy and the level of difficulty they are comfortable with at this point. It takes a lot of work on your part, as a librarian, but having that personal relationship with a student can be the difference between them finding 'that book' would sets them alight or not. I make sure that I talk to students when they return books too. I ask if they enjoyed the book, why or why not? I try to point them in the direction of the next one. I can't do it with every student every day but by the end of the year I hope to have touched base with many of them.
Doing this also requires that you know your book collection well and that you read a lot of children's books. Quite time consuming but worth it! I remember my days as a university student, reading 6 to 8 children's books a week. Not feasible any more with a demanding job. However, I do read a lot and keep up with middle school and YA authors so that I know what I'm talking about.
Levelling books can make us feel confident that our students will find books at the right level without us helping them. However, it won't necessarily ensure they find the right book for them, nor will it stretch them to read more challenging books.
Someone is sure to comment that there are lots of studies which show that giving your books reading levels is not a good idea. I agree with that and can probably find you studies to back that up. However, for me it is the easy way out, the way which might slowly lead to me not carrying on these conversations. And finally we have to ask ourselves the question, how many wonderful books might we not have read if this had been the case when we went to school. Would I have read Dickens at 11? It certainly was above my reading level.
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