The most common question we get is not about a specific book. It is “which level should I order?” Here is how to decide without guessing.
Start with the school grade, then test it
Your child’s current school grade is the right starting point, but treat it as a hypothesis rather than an answer. Children rarely sit neatly inside one grade band. A confident reader in grade 3 may be working at grade 4 level in comprehension while still finding fractions difficult.
This is why every series on our site has a free sample pack. Print eight pages, sit with your child, and watch what happens.
What to look for while they work
- Too easy: they finish quickly, barely pause, and look bored. Move up a grade.
- About right: they hesitate, think, occasionally ask for help, and finish with a sense of having done something. This is the level you want.
- Too hard: they stall on the instructions rather than the questions, get frustrated within a few minutes, or ask for help on nearly every item. Move down a grade.
Match the book to the child, not the year
There is no prize for using a book with a higher number on the cover. A child who works confidently through a grade below their school year builds fluency and belief. A child fighting a book a year ahead usually learns that they are bad at the subject, which is the opposite of what you wanted.
Mixed subject or single subject?
If you want general review across the year, choose a mixed subject workbook. If your child is fine everywhere except one area, choose the single subject title for that area and go deeper. Many parents use both, one for routine practice and one for the sticking point.
A note on gaps
If your child is struggling at their grade level, the cause is often a gap a year or two earlier rather than the current topic. Fractions are the classic example. Going back to fill the gap is faster than pushing forward.
Try before you buy
Download the free sample packs from our free resources page, or browse what is covered at each stage on our grade pages, starting with Grade 4.