There are generally two ways to determine where to start your child with the Living Lessons Curriculum. Using any or all of the following methods should help you find the right place to start with each individual child and their own unique abilities and progress. The main goal is to select the appropriate level for each student that will provide a challenge without overwhelming them.

Here’s the general rule of thumb:

1^st – Look at the Scope & Sequence for the Grade/Level your child is going into. If your student did not struggle with any particular subject your considering, and if this material seems to be right for their abilities, put them there.

2^nd - If this particular child struggled with a specific subject last year, and/or you are in doubt about their ability to master this new material after reviewing the scope & sequence, then start at the next lower level or two levels below depending on the degree of difficulty in that subject only.

3^rd - If your child excelled or was not really challenged with the past years subject material, consider moving up an extra level in that subject only after reviewing the scope & sequence.

Using the types of books listed in our pricing program may also serve as a guide to determine your child’s reading/interest level. There are essentially only 5 reading levels or reading stages, not one for each grade.

1. Stage One - Learning to Read – Levels 0 thru 1
2. Stage Two - Beginning Reader – Levels 2 thru 4
3. Stage Three - Intermediate Reader – Levels 5 thru 8
4. Stage Four - Advanced Reader – Levels 9 thru 11
5. Stage Five - Adult Reader – Level 12 and up

Look at some of the books that will be used at that level. If your child can read and comprehend these types of books and still be challenged, that level is probably a good place to start. If the materials seem too overwhelming at that level, then move on down to the next lower one.

After using these methods, you should have a pretty good idea where to start your child. As always, if you have any further questions please feel free to contact us: Email -  vrstorkel@yahoo.com or 515-710-9547 (CST).  Thanks again for considering Living Lessons.