How do I know the Reading Levels of stories?
Finding the correct Reading Level for a child is like finding her the right size of shoes – it needs to be ‘just right.’ We link levels to the child’s reading development, since we know 10-year-olds who are most comfortable with a Level 1 story, as well as 6-year-olds who can read Level 3 stories effortlessly. This happens across languages, too, as kids have different fluencies in different languages.
Guidelines for choosing reading levels
Level 1 – Beginning to Read
Easy words, word repetition
Short sentences, less than 5 on a page
Text and pictures should support each other
Big fonts
Rhyme and rhythm
Word range: 0 to 250
Simple text, familiar words, word repetition
Few words or a sentence per page
High degree of illustration support
Word range: Up to 50 words
Level 2 – Learning to Read
Simple concepts (especially in non-fiction)
Stories with linear, engaging plots
Word range: 250 to 600
Level 3 – Reading Independently
Longer sentences
Popular topics (adventure, mystery, etc)
Well sketched-out characters
Word range: 600 to 1500
Level 4 – Reading Proficiently
Complex plots
Longer, more nuanced stories
Rich vocabulary, Language play (metaphors, similes, etc.)
Word range: 1500+