My children have to do 100 book challenge at school, and have their DRA levels tested quarterly. For 100 book challenge - they are assigned books at a certain color level, and must read books from that level in class for 15-30 minutes and as homework for 15 minutes each day. They bring 4-6 books home from school to read each day. The color levels roughly correspond to certain DRA levels, but as far as I can tell, no child is allowed to move more than one grade level ahead.
The 100 book challenge philosophy has to do with practicing reading that is easy for the child, but my children usually find the books at their level to be so easy they are incredibly boring.
Interestingly, our school also uses Raz-Kids, which is an online system that allows reading and listening to books along with comprehension questions. They can choose books from the assigned level, or choose any book at their level or above.
and they are allowed to check any book out of the library.
This is exactly how my son's school does it. It's that "in class for 15-30 minutes of free reading of 100 book challenge books" at "their just right level" with which we are having such problems. My DS almost always finds the books at his level to be so easy that they are incredibly boring. I send in whatever chapter book he is reading at home and that is what he gets punished for - reading the book that he brings in from home during the 100 book challenge free reading time.
