My 7yo boy often reads books that I think are above his level (especially science books such as those in the Manga or Dummies series). I think he may be intellectually at about 5th or 6th grade level, but not the high school level. Since he reads books meant for teenagers or adults, I buy more of them but do not pressure him to read them.
Two questions I have are
(1) What do children get out of reading books that above their heads? Will it make their later, more serious studies, easier, because they have seen the material before?
(2) How should parents assist them, if at all?
My provisional answer to (2) is to leave my son alone and only help him with the material in difficult books if he asks for it.
