Irena, when I went to visit other schools I talked to one of the prinicipals about the reading level, saying that DS had actually been demoted at his current school. She was completely unconcerned and said that she is passionate about literacy and bascially that she's an "expert". She told me she would never have a child progress that fast through reading. Because the content would be way too advanced. I was dumbstruck and just stared at her, my mouth probably agape. So like you, I want to have a reasonable argument. But how can you argue with idiocy? And literacy "experts"? If a child can pass reading assessments at a higher level, then that shows they can handle the content, right? And surely there are books out there that are not too "mature". It's not like we're going to give them "Forever" by Judy Blume! Level Q on Raz-Kids is fine in terms of content/maturity. There are books that exist that don't have violence, sex, bad language, advanced social situations, etc.
Yeah, as far as I am concerned if I am sending in the book I have looked at it and decided the content is fine for my DS. Just to give some perspective, my DS's teacher was punishing DS for magic treehouse books so mature content was not her concern.. her concern was her "rule" about 'books must come from her basket.
Some of what I read *to* him can be borderline (not sex but violence/fantasy) but we have talks about it. I feel like that stuff is at my discretion. It really isn't THAT much of an issue (yet)- he is not beyond 4th grade in his reading. What I read *to* him is high school level so that can get dodgey.
