EXAMPLE 01A parent walkthrough
Change to indirect speech: She said, “I am tired.”
Say: Remove the quotes and add “that”.
Say: Backshift the tense: am becomes was.
She said that she was tired.
FINAL ANSWER
She said that she was tired
READING LEVEL EI
Clauses & Reported Speech — Level EI Parent Guide
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Clauses that work as nouns, adjectives, and adverbs; converting direct and indirect speech; and diagramming paragraphs so their organisation becomes visible.
Grade 5 (approx. ages 10–11) · approximate gradeTHE DEFINITION
What is Kumon Reading Level EI?
Kumon Reading Level EI (Clauses & Reported Speech) is the 15th of 26 levels in the Kumon reading program, where children learn clauses that work as nouns, adjectives, and adverbs; converting direct and indirect speech; and diagramming paragraphs so their organisation becomes visible. It typically aligns with grade 5 (approx. ages 10–11) reading work, though Kumon places children by ability rather than age, so the grade is a guide, not a rule.
Level EI builds directly on Reading Level DII: Topic vs Main Idea and prepares children for Reading Level EII: Cause, Effect & Imagery. It is one of 26 Kumon reading levels covered in this independent parent guide series.
This is an independent parent guide, not an official curriculum or placement assessment. Topics and pace can vary; your child's instructor can confirm their current work.
- Clause types and their functions
- Reported (indirect) speech
- Diagramming and mapping paragraphs
- Cohesion within and between sentences
- Precise paragraph reading
- Expository vocabulary
How do I help my child with Level EI?
Read one passage together, then let your child try the next one alone. A few small exercises to try together — let your child attempt each one first, then use these prompts when they need a nudge.
Original examples written for parents — not scanned worksheets or reproduced passages.
EXAMPLE 02A parent walkthrough
Diagram the paragraph: “Rain is essential. Farmers watch the sky. Crops depend on it.”
Say: Put the main idea on the top line: Rain is essential.
Say: Branch one: farmers watch the sky. Branch two: crops depend on it.
Say: Now the diagram shows how every idea hangs on the main one.
FINAL ANSWER
Main idea with two supporting branches
How can parents support Level EI?
Short, calm, and daily beats long and pressured. These small habits make Level EI stick — pick one and start tonight.
Diagramming looks unusual but makes invisible structure visible
For reported speech, remember: yesterday's “I am” becomes “she was”
Ask: “What job is this clause doing in the sentence?”
A LITTLE MORE CLARITY