Business Librarian / Education Librarian / Ballenger Teachers Center (BTC) Coordinator
Introduction to Reading Levels
There are a variety of book-leveling systems. They are attempts of educators and publishers to quantify the text complexity and readability of books. The systems each have their own metrics for analyzing texts and assigning reading levels. Most books in the Ballenger Teachers Center are NOT labeled with reading level information. This guide is to pull together resources for finding reading levels of books.
TeachingBooks
TeachingBooks is a valuable resource for teachers. It has information on thousands of books and includes information on reading levels and text complexity. You will need to create an account. When you sign up, sign up for an EDUCATOR account.
- TeachingBooks This link opens in a new window
Resources about children's and young adult books and authors | Ebooks for students and educators | Build reading lists and lessons | Activities, book trailers, games, and author interviews | Sign up for a login with your EIU email
NoveList
NoveList has Lexile Levels for books when they are available.
- NoveList K-8 PLus This link opens in a new window
Subset of NoveList Plus, geared towards younger readers | Readers advisory tool | Book reviews | Teaching tools for classroom use
Booksource
Booksource is a leading provider of books for classroom libraries.
- BooksourceBooksource provides Guided Reading Levels and Lexile Measures when available for books in their catalog.
Guided Reading Levels
Guided Reading was developed by Irene Fountas and Gay Sou Pinnell. Guided Reading Levels use a letter system (A-Z) to label books for text complexity.
- BooksourceBooksource provides Guided Reading Levels and Lexile Measures when available for books in their catalog.
- Scholastic Book WizardScholastic Book Wizard will have guided reading levels for books published by Scholastic when the levels are available.
Assessment Tools
Benchmark assessment system. 1, Grades K-2, levels A-N by
4 volumes, 28 benchmark books + 14 hanging folders, 1 technology package (3 discs + 1 guide), 30 student folders, 1 calculator/stopwatch ; in container 26 x 37 x 23 cm
Call Number: Box Kit LB1525 .F68 2011xPublication Date: 2011
Fountas & Pinnell benchmark assessment system. 2, Grades 3-8, levels L-Z by
30 benchmark books, 1 assessment guide (v, 214 pages : illustrations ; 28 cm), 1 guide to teaching (iv, 247 pages pages 28 cm), 1 assessment forms book (v, 358 pages ; 28 cm), 1 student forms optional assessments book (24 pages ; 28 cm), 1 assessment forms CD-ROM (4 3/4 in.), 1 data management CD-ROM (4 3/4 in), 1 professional development DVD (sound, color ; 4 3/4 in.), 1 quick start guide (29 pages : illustrations ; 20 cm), 30 student folders, 1 calculator/stopwatch, 18 red folders ; in container 24 x 38 x 27 cm
Call Number: BTC Box Kits LB1525 .F682 2011xPublication Date: 2011
Lexile Levels
From the Lexile Hub: "The Lexile Framework for Reading uses a unified scale to link student reading ability with text complexity. The framework provides a way to place this ability on one side of the scale and text complexity on the other, creating a measurement scale that connects them. As an educator, you can use Lexile measures to find books with the right level of challenge and vocabulary, supporting the development of your students' literacy skills."
- BooksourceBooksource provides Guided Reading Levels and Lexile Measures when available for books in their catalog.
- Lexile: Find a BookLook up books to find Lexile levels. If a book is not available, create an educator account to be able to enter text
Reading Level Correlation Chart
- Reading Correlation ChartThis chart from Book Source shows multiple reading level systems and shows how they correlate to one another and to grade level.
