Anyone completely confused by reading levels? 
There are three different systems used: Lexile, Book Level (like most libraries), and Guided Reading Levels (like Howard County uses) that parents need to understand.  All kids read at their own pace and the below information is just an average generalization. 
Kindergartners are just beginning to read using some basic sight words and decoding simple words. Such books will be labeled 1.1-1.3 or Levels A, B, or C. 1st Grade Students and/or readers are decoding more words, learning rule breaker rules, and adding more sight words.   That is 1.3 -1.7 (Lexile 50-275) or Levels C through I. Remember they need 10-30 minutes of daily reading; practice makes perfect!
                                         New readers are:
  • Just beginning to learn how print works
  • Just beginning to learn the alphabetic principle – the relationship between letters and sounds
  • Learning to use 1‐1 matching
  • Learning to follow text from left to right
  • Differentiating between print and pictures
  • Beginning to notice each letter’s distinct features
  • Learning some easy, high‐frequency words (Go to SIGHT WORD page for downloadable sight word cards)



                         Here are some terms you may also hear:
  • pre-reader- A child that does not fully understand that print has meaning. For example, a pre-reader does not fully understand the relationship between the written letter and that it makes a sound (phonics)
  • emergent reader- A child who has learned the basics, like letters and their sounds and is ready to begin the early stages of reading
  • phonics- Understanding the relationship between written letters and the sound(s) that they make
  • print awareness- The awareness of how print works. For example, moving from left to right as the child writes or knowing the difference between an upper case and lower case letter.
  • reading level- Kids need to be able to read the words AND comprehend the text in order for you to say that they are indeed reading on a particular level. For example, if Suzy can read the words on a 4th grade level, but cannot remember what she has read and this is a re-occurring thing, I would not say that Suzy is reading on a 4th grade level. Reading equals thinking and if the child isn’t getting any meaning from the text, she is simply barking the words. 
  • reversals- Reading SAW for was or spelling with a b instead of a d. Reversals are VERY common in early literacy {K-2nd grade} and do not necessarily mean the child is dyslexic.

FOUNTAS AND PINNEL GUIDED READING TEXT LEVEL DESCRIPTIONS

Characteristics of Texts at Level A & B:
  • Simple factual texts, animal fantasy and realistic fiction
  • Picture books
  • Text and concepts highly supported by pictures  
  • One line of text on each page
  • Familiar, easy content
  • Repeating language patterns (3‐6 words per page)
  • Short, predictable sentences
  • Almost all vocabulary familiar to children – strongly sight‐word based
  • Simple factual texts, animal fantasy and realist

Characteristics of Texts at Level C & D:
  •  Simple factual texts, animal fantasy and realistic fiction
  • Picture books
  • Amusing one‐dimensional characters
  • Familiar, easy content
  • Introduction of dialogue (assigned by said in most cases)
  • Many sentences with prepositional phrases and adjectives
  • Almost all vocabulary familiar to children – greater range of high‐frequency words
  • Some simple contractions and possessives (words with apostrophes)
  • Two to five lines of text on each page
  • Some bolded words
  • Some ellipses, commas, quotation marks, question marks, and exclamation points


Click on the file below to view Descriptors of Levels E+ and downloadable leveled texts to use at home with your kindergartner!
fountas-pinnell_guided_reading_text_level_descriptions.pdf
File Size: 192 kb
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i_can.pdf
File Size: 140 kb
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i_read_a_book.pdf
File Size: 202 kb
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what_animals_eat.pdf
File Size: 152 kb
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to_the_store.pdf
File Size: 175 kb
File Type: pdf
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