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What are Reading Levels?

How to find books that fit your child's reading level

What do these Reading Levels mean?

You have been told by the school that your child reads at Level D … or 2.5 … or 350L. What does that mean, and how do you find books that are a good fit?

The first, more important question is this: What is your child INTERESTED in reading? As educator and librarian Michael Sullivan says in his book Connecting Boys with Books 2: Closing the Reading Gap, “Children do not read to their reading level. Children read to their interest level.” (p.41) So START with interest, then use reading level tools to find books within a RANGE that is appropriate.

So back to the question: What are reading levels, and how can you use them?

Reading Level Systems

Various systems are used to evaluate the reading level of both books and students, with the goal of matching students to books that are at a level that is about right for them.

The Reading Level for a book is determined by computer analysis of grammar and vocabulary, things like:

  • Sentence length & complexity
  • Repetition of vocabulary
  • Ease of vocabulary (common or less common)
  • Sentences per page

Note that the reading level of a book does NOT include any evaluation of content or appropriateness for a particular age or grade.

There are several different systems used for quantifying the reading level of a book:

  • Guided Reading (GR, sometimes called Fountas & Pinnell) -- Some schools (including Decatur Public Schools) use this system, which assigns a letter to each reading level, A to Z, from easiest to hardest.
  • Accelerated Reader (AR, sometimes called ATOS) – Other schools use the AR numbered reading levels, like 2.5. In this case, the first number (2) represents 2nd grade, and the second (5) the fifth month. So (in theory) at book at 2.5 is ideal for an average student in the 5th month of 2nd grade.
  • Lexile – This system assigns a number followed by an L, from 25L up to 1200L (for kids books – higher for adult books), to represent how challenging the text might be.

Thousands of books have been “leveled” under the Guided Reading (GR) and Accelerated Reader (AR) systems. However, millions of books have been “leveled” under the Lexile system. You can find many popular children’s books on GR and AR, but far more under the Lexile system.

Using the same scale, the reading level of students is measured through standardized tests that evaluate their understanding of texts.

Note that a reading level does NOT necessarily equate to a certain grade. There IS a correlation between a range of levels and the average of students in a particular grade. So 2nd graders, for example, will generally test anywhere from G to M (Guided Reading) or 1.5 to 2.9 (AR) or 420L to 650L (Lexile).

There are lots of charts online which compare the various systems of reading levels to each other and to typical grade ranges. Here is one from Scholastic (which also includes DRA, Developmental Reading Assessment, yet another such system):

So if you’ve been told by the school that your child tests at Level H (GR), that’s roughly 1.8 on AR. (Click here to download a more detailed reading level conversion chart.)

Finding Books for Your Child

  • It is generally easier to browse for books that your child will like or be interested in than it is to search by level. So, if possible, start with a book you know your child has read comfortably.
  • Then look for (or ask library staff to help you look for) other books that seem similar in:
    1. Subject/genre (fiction? adventure? humor? fantasy? non-fiction?)
    2. Format (picture book? beginning reader? graphic novel? novel?)
    3. Length
      Reading level does not necessarily equate with length. Some students read at a higher level, but prefer shorter books or picture books, yet with more complex text & story.
  • Using one of the leveling system apps or websites (see below), check the level of the books that look good. If they’re somewhere in a range around your child’s tested level, they’re probably a good choice.
  • If you would like to start searching by reading level, you can find on our website a page with links to books at DPL by level or range of levels: decaturlibrary.org/books-guided-reading-levels

Since there is not a lot of difference between the difficulty of books at adjacent levels, you can search within a wider range than just your child’s specific level. These are listed by Guided Reading (GR) levels, since that is what Decatur Public Schools uses. If your school uses a different system, use the chart above to convert. For example, if your child is at 2.5 on AR, that corresponds to K on GR, or 350 Lexile.

If you are looking for easier short chapter books or non-fiction for your child, check our page with catalog links to series that target those particular levels: decaturlibrary.org/early-reader-series

Frequently Asked Questions

  • How do I find the level of a particular book?

For each of the major leveling systems, there are websites and/or apps where you can type in the name of the book OR just scan the ISBN (International Standard Book Number), encoded in a barcode on the back of virtually all published books.

AR (Accelerated Reader)
Website: www.arbookfind.com

AR Book Finder app (for Apple): apps.apple.com/us/app/ar-reading-list/id1481792031

AR Book Finder app (for Android): play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.appzzang.book_finder

The AR apps (but not the site) will give you the Lexile score along with the AR level.

Lexile, GR & AR
QuickScan Book Leveler app (for Apple): apps.apple.com/us/app/quickscan-book-leveler/id1567675801

This app will give you all three measures (Lexile, GR & AR) if available. It is unfortunately not available for Android.

Lexile
Website: www.lexile.com

Note that the Lexile site will limit you to 5 searches per month unless you create a free account and log in to use it.

  • Is it okay for children to read outside of their assigned reading levels?

Yes! A reading level is only a guide, and an approximate one. There is not much difference between a Level C, or D, or E, so a child tested at Level D should be fine with those on either side. And reading level does not take into account a reader’s interest level or familiarity with the topic or series. A student may be eager to tackle a harder book if the subject is interesting. And other times they may want to relax with an old favorite or fun title at an easier level.

According to some research, it is MORE important for kids to read LOTS than to read at a certain level of challenge. Educator and librarian Michael Sullivan says in his book Connecting Boys with Books 2: Closing the Reading Gap, “… the acquisition of language skills such as vocabulary, structure, and grammar has little or nothing to do with the complexity of one’s reading and everything to do with volume. The key to becoming a better reader lies not in your level of reading but in how much you read” (p 40).

  • Is it okay for kids to listen to audiobooks?

Yes! In fact, a child can enjoy listening to an audiobook well above their reading level. Audiobooks are professionally narrated and very engaging. Children will grow in vocabulary and grammatical awareness as well as their understanding of how stories work and relate to the world around them.

In the same way, it is equally worthwhile for adults to read TO children long after they have begun to read on their own. Adults can read aloud worthwhile books above the child’s own reading level, as well as talk about new vocabulary and issues or concepts that come up in the book.

References

Sullivan, Michael. Connecting Boys with Books 2: Closing the Reading Gap. Chicago: American Library Association, 2009. (At Decatur Public Library: J028.5 S)