Your fourth grader wants to reread Captain Underpants for the ninth time. Let them.

Parents worry about this. Teachers sometimes discourage it. The research says the opposite: rereading favorite "easy" books builds fluency, reinforces positive associations with reading, and gives kids the confidence that comes from effortless comprehension. A kid zooming through a book they love is practicing reading speed, automaticity, and the sheer pleasure of consuming a story — all of which transfer to harder books later.

The anxiety about "reading below level" misunderstands what reading levels are for. They're tools for instruction, not fences. A kid who reads Captain Underpants at home and Percy Jackson at school is building both fluency and stamina. A kid who's forced to read "at level" every single time associates reading with effort and never with joy. Joy is the long game.