Fountas&PinnellGuidedReadingTextLevelDescriptions

A:CharacteristicsofTextsatLevelA:

Simplefactualtexts,animalfantasyandrealisticfiction
Picturebooks
Textandconceptshighlysupportedbypictures
Onelineoftextoneachpage
Familiar,easycontent
Repeatinglanguagepatterns(36wordsperpage)
Short,predictablesentences
Almostallvocabularyfamiliartochildrenstronglysightwordbased

CharacteristicsofEarlyEmergentReaders(ReadingatLevelA):

Justbeginningtolearnhowprintworks
Justbeginningtolearnthealphabeticprincipletherelationshipbetweenlettersandsounds
Learningtouse11matching
Learningtofollowtextfromlefttoright
Differentiatingbetweenprintandpictures
Beginningtonoticeeachlettersdistinctfeatures
Learningsomeeasy,highfrequencywords

B:CharacteristicsofTextsatLevelB:

Simplefactualtexts,animalfantasyandrealisticfiction
Simple,onedimensionalcharacters
Picturebooks
Textandconceptshighlysupportedbypictures
Twoormorelinesoftextoneachpage
Repeatinglanguagepatterns(37wordsperpage)
Veryfamiliarthemesandideas
Short,predictablesentences
Almostallvocabularyfamiliartochildrenstronglysightwordbased

CharacteristicsofEarlyEmergentReaders(ReadingatLevelB):

Recognizeandapplyrepeatinglanguagepatterns
Strongerawarenessoflefttorightdirectionality
Strongerawarenessof11matching
Learningconceptofreturnsweep(movingfromonelineoftexttothenext)
Abletodistinguishandidentifymorelettersaccordingtotheirdistinctfeatures
Developingstrongerunderstandingoftheconnectionbetweensoundsandletters
Expandingtheircoreofeasy,highfrequencywords

F&PTextGradientLevelssae92011

C:CharacteristicsofTextsatLevelC:

Simplefactualtexts,animalfantasyandrealisticfiction
Picturebooks
Amusingonedimensionalcharacters
Familiar,easycontent
Introductionofdialogue(assignedbysaidinmostcases)
Manysentenceswithprepositionalphrasesandadjectives
Almostallvocabularyfamiliartochildrengreaterrangeofhighfrequencywords
Somesimplecontractionsandpossessives(wordswithapostrophes)
Twotofivelinesoftextoneachpage
Someboldedwords
Someellipses,commas,quotationmarks,questionmarks,andexclamationpoints

CharacteristicsofEarlyEmergentReaders(ReadingatLevelC):

Begintomovesmoothlyacrosstheprintedpagewhenreading
Begintousesomeexpressionwhenreading
Eyesaretakingovertheprocessofmatchingthespokenwordtotheprintedword(removalof
fingertracking)
Developingphrasedreading
Noticingdialogueandpunctuationandreflectingthiswiththevoice
Developingalargercoreofhighfrequencywords
Consistentlymonitoringreadingandcrosscheckingonesourceofinformationagainstanother;
selfcorrecting

D:CharacteristicsofTextsatLevelD:

Simplefactualtexts,animalfantasyandrealisticfiction
Picturebooks
Amusingonedimensionalcharacters
Familiar,easycontent,themes,andideas
Simpledialogue(somesplitdialogue)
Manysentenceswithprepositionalphrasesandadjectives
Somelongersentences(somewithmorethansixwords)
Somesimplecontractionsandpossessives(wordswithapostrophes)
Twotosixlinesoftextoneachpage
Somesentencesturnovertothenextline
Somewordswithsandingendings
Fewerrepetitivelanguagepatterns

CharacteristicsofEarlyEmergentReaders(ReadingatLevelD):

Eyescantrackprintovertwotosixlinesperpage
Canprocesstextswithfewerrepeatinglanguagepatterns

F&PTextGradientLevelssae92011

Voiceprintmatchissmoothandautomatic;fingerpointingisrarelyneeded,ifever
Noticesandusesarangeofpunctuationandreaddialogue,reflectingthemeaningthrough
phrasing
Cansolvemanyregulartwosyllablewords,usuallywithinflectionalendings(ing).
Consistentlymonitorsreadingandcrosschecksonesourceofinformationagainstanother;self
corrects

E:CharacteristicsofTextsatLevelE:

Simpleinformationaltexts,simpleanimalfantasy,realisticfiction,verysimpleretellingsof
traditionaltales,simpleplays
Sometextswithsequentialinformation
Familiarcontentthatexpandsbeyondhome,neighborhood,andschool
Mostconceptssupportedbypictures
Moreliterarystoriesandlanguage
Concrete,easytounderstandideas
Somelongersentencesmorethantenwords
Somethreesyllablewords
Somesentenceswithverbprecedingsubject
Variationofwordstoassigndialogueinsometexts(said,cried,shouted)
Easycontractions
Mostlywordswitheasy,predictablespellingpatterns
Twotoeightlinesofprintperpage

CharacteristicsofEmergentReaders(ReadingatLevelE):

Flexibleenoughtoprocesstextswithvariedplacementofprintandafullrangeofpunctuation
Attendtomoresubtleideasandcomplexstories
Solvelongerwordswithinflectionalendings
Readsentencesthatcarryover23linesorovertwopages
Relymuchmoreontheprint;picturesarebecominglesssupportive
Lefttorightdirectionalityandvoiceprintmatchareautomatic
Oralreadingdemonstratesfluencyandphrasingwithappropriatestressonwords
Readwithoutfingerpointing,brininginfingeronlyatpointofdifficulty
Recognizealargenumberofhighfrequencywords
Easilysolvewordswithregularlettersoundrelationships,aswellasafewirregularwords

F:CharacteristicsofTextsatLevelF:

Simpleinformationaltexts,simpleanimalfantasy,realisticfiction,verysimpleretellingsof
traditionaltales,simpleplays
Sometextswithsequentialinformation
Familiarcontentthatexpandsbeyondhome,neighborhood,andschool
Bothsimpleandsplitdialogue,speakerusuallyassigned

F&PTextGradientLevelssae92011

Somelongerstretchesofdialogue
Somelongersentencesmorethantenwordswithprepositionalphrases,adjectives,and
dialogue
Variationinplacementofsubject,verb,adjectives,andadverbs
Somecompoundsentencesconjoinedbyand
Manywordswithinflectionalendings
Moredetailsintheillustrations
Mosttextsthreetoeightlinesoftextperpage
Periods,commas,quotationmarks,exclamationpoints,questionmarks,andellipses

CharacteristicsofEmergentReaders(ReadingatLevelF):

Beginningtobuildknowledgeofthecharacteristicsofdifferentgenresoftexts
Readstretchesofbothsimpleandsplitdialogue
Recognizealargenumberofhighfrequencywordsquicklyandautomatically
Uselettersoundinformationtotakeapartsimple,regularwordsaswellassomemultisyllable
words
Processandunderstandtextpatternsthatareparticulartowrittenlanguage
Beginningtoreadfictionwithmorewelldevelopedcharacters
Lefttorightdirectionalityandvoiceprintmatcharecompletelyautomatic
Readwithoutpointingandwithappropriaterate,phrasing,intonation,andstress

G:CharacteristicsofTextsatLevelG:

Informationaltexts,simpleanimalfantasy,realisticfiction,traditionalliterature(folktales)
Somelongertextswithrepeatinglongerandmorecomplexpatterns
Someunusualformats,suchasquestionsfollowedbyanswersorletters
Sometextswithsequentialinformation
Familiarcontentthatexpandsbeyondhome,neighborhood,andschool
Sometextswithsettingsthatarenottypicalofmanychildrensexperience
Somesentencesthatarequestionsinsimplesentencesandindialogue
Sentenceswithclausesandembeddedphrases
Somecomplexlettersoundrelationshipsinwords
Somecontentspecificwordsintroduced,explainedandillustratedinthetext
Complexillustrationsdepictingmultipleideas
Mosttextsthreetoeightlinesofprintperpage
Slightlysmallerprint

CharacteristicsofDevelopingReaders(ReadingatLevelG):

Abletointernalizemoreanddeeperknowledgeofdifferentgenres
Earlyreadingbehaviorsnowcompletelyautomatic
Recognizealargenumberofhighfrequencywords
Abletoattendtomorecomplexstorylinesandideas

F&PTextGradientLevelssae92011

Usearangeofwordsolvingstrategies(lettersoundinformation,makingconnectionsbetween
words,usingwordparts)toreadunknownwords
Readtextswithsomecontentspecificwords
Demonstrateappropriaterate,phrasing,intonation,andwordstress

H:CharacteristicsofTextsatLevelH:

Informationaltexts,simpleanimalfantasy,realisticfiction,traditionalliterature(folktales)
Narrativeswithmoreepisodesandlessrepetition
Accessiblecontentthatexpandsbeyondhome,schoolandneighborhood
Multipleepisodestakingplaceacrosstime
Somestretchesofdescriptivelanguage
Widevarietyinwordsusedtoassigndialoguetospeaker
Somecomplexlettersoundrelationshipsinwords
Somecomplexspellingpatterns
Someeasycompoundwords
Mosttextswithnooronlyminimalillustrations
Italicsindicatingunspokenthought
Mosttextsthreetoeightlinesofprintperpage

CharacteristicsofDevelopingReaders(ReadingatLevelH):

Encountermorecomplexlanguageandvocabulary
Readlonger,moreliterarystories
Abletoprocessagreatdealofdialogueandreflectitthroughappropriatewordstressand
phrasing
Solvealargenumberofmultisyllablewords,plurals,contractions,andpossessives
Abletoreadalargerandlargernumberofhighfrequencywords
Abletothinkatincreasinglydeeperlevels
Solvewordswithcomplexspellingpatterns
Begintoreadmorenewtextssilently,inordertoachieveefficientandsmoothprocessing

I:CharacteristicsofTextsatLevelI:

Informationaltexts,simpleanimalfantasy,realisticfiction,traditionalliterature(folktales)
Someinformationaltextswithatableofcontentsand/oraglossary
Narrativeswithmultipleepisodesandlittlerepetitionofsimilarepisodes;moreelaborated
episodes
Underlyingorganizationalstructuresusedandpresentedclearly(description,compareand
contrast,problemandsolution)
Someunusualformats,suchaslettersorquestionsfollowedbyanswers
Bothfamiliarcontentandsomenewcontentchildrenmaynotknow
Containafewabstractconceptsthatarehighlysupportedbytextandillustrations
Longersentencesthatcancarryovertotwoorthreelines,andsomeovertwopages

F&PTextGradientLevelssae92011

Manytwotothreesyllablewordsfromallpartsofspeech
Somecomplexspellingpatterns
Somecomplexlettersoundrelationshipsinwords
Eighttosixteenpagesofprint(someeasychapterbooksoffiftytosixtypages)
Threetoeightlinesoftextperpage

CharacteristicsofDevelopingReaders(ReadingatLevelI):

Abletoprocessmostlyshorttexts(eighttosixteenpages);someeasyillustratedchapterbooks
Abletosustainattentionandmemoryoverlongerperiodsoftime
Canprocesslonger(tenwordsormore)andmorecomplexsentences
Havealargesightwordvocabulary
Abletousewordsolvingstrategiesforcomplexspellingpatterns,multisyllablewords,and
wordswithinflectionalendings,plurals,contractions,andpossessives
Readmanytextssilently,followingtextwiththeireyesandwithoutpointing
Oralreadingreflectsappropriaterate,stress,intonation,phrasing,andpausing

J:CharacteristicsofTextsatLevelJ:

Informationaltexts,simpleanimalfantasy,realisticfiction,traditionalliterature(folktales),some
simplebiographiesonfamiliarsubjects
Beginningchapterbookswithillustrations(fortytoseventyfivepages)
Underlyingorganizationalstructuresusedandpresentedclearly(description,compareand
contrast,problemandsolution)
Someunusualformats,suchaslettersorquestionsfollowedbyanswers
Someideasnewtomostchildren
Sometextswithsettingsthatarenotfamiliartomostchildren
Variedplacementofsubject,verb,adjectivesandadverbsinsentences
Containsomeabstractconceptsthatarehighlysupportedbytextandillustrations
Somecomplexspellingpatternsandlettersoundrelationshipsinwords
Manylinesofprintonapage

CharacteristicsofDevelopingReaders(ReadingatLevelJ):

Abletoprocessavarietyoftexts(shortfictiontexts,shortinformationaltexts,andlonger
narrativetextsthathaveillustrationsandshortchapters)
Adjustreadingstrategiesasneededtoprocessdifferentgenres
Processincreasinglymorecomplexsentences
Havealarge,expandingsightwordvocabulary
Abletoquicklyapplywordsolvingstrategiesforcomplexspellingpatterns,multisyllablewords,
andwordswithinflectionalendings,plurals,contractions,andpossessives
Readsilentlyduringindependentreading
Oralreadingreflectsappropriaterate,stress,intonation,phrasing,andpausing

F&PTextGradientLevelssae92011

K:CharacteristicsofTextsatLevelK:

Informationaltexts,simpleanimalfantasy,realisticfiction,traditionalliterature(folktales),some
simplebiographiesonfamiliarsubjects
Beginningchapterbooks(sixtytoonehundredpagesofprint)
Variedorganizationinnonfictiontextformats(question/answer,boxes,legends,etc.)
Sometextswithplots,situations,andsettingsoutsidewhatachildwouldtypicallyfindfamiliar
Longer(morethanfifteenwords),morecomplexsentences
Varietyofwordsusedtoassigndialogue,withverbsandadverbsessentialtomeaning
Multisyllablewordsthatarechallengingtotakeapartordecode
Longerstretchesofprintwithoutthesupportofpictures

CharacteristicsofDevelopingReaders(ReadingatLevelK):

Abletoaccommodatethehigherlevelprocessingofseveralfictiontextswithmultipleepisodes
connectedtoasingleplot
Readaboutandunderstandcharactersthatareincreasinglymorecomplex
Abletoprocessagreatdealofdialoguewithinastory
Challengedtoreadstoriesbasedonconceptsthataredistantintimeandspaceandreflect
diversecultures
Havealarge,expandingsightwordvocabulary
Abletoquicklyapplywordsolvingstrategiesforcomplexspellingpatterns,multisyllablewords,
andwordswithinflectionalendings,plurals,contractions,andpossessives
Readsilentlyduringindependentreading
Oralreadingfullydemonstratesallaspectsoffluentreading

L:CharacteristicsofTextsatLevelL:

Informationaltexts,simplefantasy,realisticfiction,traditionalliterature(folktales),simple
biographies,simplemysteries
Underlyingorganizationalstructures(description,compareandcontrast,problemandsolution)
Sometechnicalcontentthatischallengingandnottypicallyknown
Sometextswithplots,settings,andsituationsoutsidetypicalexperience
Multisyllablewordsthatarechallengingtotakeapartordecode
Somenewvocabularyandcontentspecificwordsinnonfictiontextintroduced,explained,and
illustratedinthetext
Newvocabularyinfictiontexts(largelyunexplained)
Chapterbooks(sixtytoonehundredpagesofprint)

CharacteristicsofDevelopingReaders(ReadingatLevelL):

Abletoprocesseasychapterbooks,includingsomeseriesbooks,withmoresophisticatedplots
andfewillustrations,aswellasshorterinformationaltexts
Adjustreadingtoprocessavarietyofgenres

F&PTextGradientLevelssae92011

Understandthatchapterbookshavemultipleepisodesconnectedtoasingleplot
Bringbackgroundknowledgetonewreadinginordertoprocessandlearnnewinformation
Begintorecognizethemesacrosstexts(friendship,courage)
Abletounderstandsomeabstractideas
Abletoseemultipleperspectivesofcharactersthroughdescription
Abletoflexiblyapplywordsolvingstrategiesforcomplexspellingpatterns,multisyllablewords,
andwordswithinflectionalendings,plurals,contractions,andpossessives
Readsilentlyduringindependentreading
Oralreadingfullydemonstratesallaspectsoffluentreading

M:CharacteristicsofTextsatLevelM:

Informationaltexts,simplefantasy,realisticfiction,traditionalliterature(folktales),simple
biographies,simplemysteries
Mostofthecontentcarriedbyprint,ratherthanpictures
Someabstractthemesrequiringinferentialthinkingtoderive
Textswithmultiplepointsofviewrevealedthroughcharactersbehaviors
Complexplotswithnumerousepisodesandtimepassing
Multiplecharacterstounderstandandnoticehowtheydevelopandchange
Multisyllablewordsthatarechallengingtotakeapartordecode
Somenewvocabularyandcontentspecificwordsintroduced,explained,andillustratedinthe
text

CharacteristicsofDevelopingReaders(ReadingatLevelM):

Knowthecharacteristicsofarangeofgenres
Developingpreferencesforspecificformsofreading(mysteries,biographies)
Canunderstandandprocessnarrativeswithmoreelaborateplotsandmultiplecharactersthat
developandchangeovertime
Abletoidentifyanduseunderlyingorganizationalstructures(description,compareand
contrast,problemandsolution,causeandeffect)tohelpnavigatethroughtext
Wordsolvingissmoothandautomaticwithbothoralandsilentreading
Canreadandunderstanddescriptivewords,somecomplexcontentspecificwords,andsome
technicalwords

N:CharacteristicsofTextsatLevelN:

Informationaltexts,simplefantasy,realisticfiction,traditionalliterature(folktales),simple
biographies,simplemysteries
Presentationofmultipletopicsthatrepresentsubtopicofalargertopicortheme
Variouswaysofshowingcharactersattributes(description,dialogue,thoughts,others
perspectives)
Complexplotswithnumerousepisodesandtimepassing
Multiplecharacterstounderstandandnoticehowtheydevelopandchange

F&PTextGradientLevelssae92011

Varietyinsentencelengthandcomplexity
Manytwotothreesyllablewords;somewordswithmorethanthreesyllables
Multisyllablewordsthatarechallengingtotakeapartordecode
Wordswithprefixesandsuffixes
Somenewvocabularyandcontentspecificwordsintroduced,explained,andillustratedinthe
text

CharacteristicsofEarlyIndependentReaders(ReadingatLevelN):

Knowthecharacteristicsofandcanprocessthefullrangeofgenres
Developingpreferencesforspecificformsofreading(mysteries,biographies)
Canunderstandandprocessnarrativeswithmoreelaborateplotsandmultiplecharactersthat
developandchangeovertime
Abletoidentifyanduseunderlyingorganizationalstructures(description,compareand
contrast,problemandsolution,causeandeffect)tohelpnavigatethroughtext
Wordsolvingissmoothandautomaticwithbothoralandsilentreading
Readerwillslowdowntoproblemsolveorsearchforinformation,thenresumenormalreading
pace
Mostwordsolvingisunconsciousandautomatic;littleovertproblemsolvingneeded
Canreadandunderstanddescriptivewords,somecomplexcontentspecificwords,andsome
technicalwords

O:CharacteristicsofTextsatLevelO:

Informationaltexts,simplefantasy,realisticfiction,traditionalliterature(folktales),biographies,
mysteries,historicalfiction,shortstories,chapterbookswithsequels
Priorknowledgeneededtounderstandcontentinmanyinformationaltexts
Presentationofmultipletopicsthatrepresentsubtopicofalargertopicortheme
Contentrequiringthereadertotakeonperspectivesfromdiverseculturesandbringcultural
knowledgetounderstanding
Multiplecharacterstoknowandunderstand
Charactersrevealedbywhattheysay,do,think,andbywhatotherssayorthinkaboutthem
Descriptiveandfigurativelanguagethatiskeytounderstandingtheplot
Characterswithbothgoodandbadtraits,whochangeanddevelopovertime
Somewordsusedfiguratively
Newvocabularyinfictiontextslargelyunexplained
Somewordswithconnotativemeaningsthatareessentialtounderstandingthetext
Somemultisyllablepropernounsthatarechallengingtotakeapartordecode

CharacteristicsofEarlyIndependentReaders(ReadingatLevelO):

Knowthecharacteristicsofandcanprocessthefullrangeofgenres
Readawiderangeoftexts:chapterbooks,shorterfictionandinformationaltext,including
specialformssuchasmysteries,seriesbooks,andshortstories

F&PTextGradientLevelssae92011

Abletoidentifyanduseunderlyingorganizationalstructures(description,compareand
contrast,problemandsolution,causeandeffect)tohelpnavigatethroughtext
Abletoprocesslengthy,complexsentences,containingprepositionalphrases,introductory
clauses,andlistsofnouns,verbs,oradjectives
Solvenewvocabularywords,somedefinedinthetextandsomeunexplained
Mostwordsolvingisunconsciousandautomatic;littleovertproblemsolvingneeded
Canreadandunderstanddescriptivewords,somecomplexcontentspecificwords,andsome
technicalwords
Wordsolvingissmoothandautomaticwithbothoralandsilentreading
Demonstrateallaspectsofsmooth,fluentprocessing

P:CharacteristicsofTextsatLevelP:

Informationaltexts,fantasy,realisticfiction,traditionalliterature(folktales),biographies,
mysteries,historicalfiction,shortstories,chapterbookswithsequels,genrecombinations
(hybrids)
Topicsthatgowellbeyondreaderspersonalexperience
Contentrequiringthereadertotakeondiverseperspectives(race,language,culture)
Ideasandthemesrequiringtakingaperspectivenotfamiliartothereader
Somemorechallengingthemes(war,theenvironment)
Manyideasandthemesrequiringunderstandingofculturaldiversity
Multiplecharacterstoknowandunderstand
Charactersrevealedbywhattheysay,do,think,andbywhatotherssayorthinkaboutthem
Extensiveuseofdescriptiveandfigurativelanguagethatiskeytounderstandingtheplot
Buildingsuspensethrougheventsoftheplot
Somemorecomplexfantasyelements
Manycomplexcontentspecificwordsinnonfiction,mostlydefinedintext,illustrations,or
glossary
Multisyllablepropernounsthatarechallengingtotakeapartordecode
Moredifficultlayoutofinformationaltext,andsomefictiontext,withdenserformat

CharacteristicsofEarlyIndependentReaders(ReadingatLevelP):

Canidentifythecharacteristicsofafullrangeofgenres,includingbiographiesonlesswell
knownsubjectsandhybridgenres
Readawiderangeoftexts:chapterbooks,shorterfictionandinformationaltext,including
specialformssuchasmysteries,seriesbooks,andshortstories
Abletoidentifyanduseunderlyingorganizationalstructures(description,compareand
contrast,problemandsolution,causeandeffect)tohelpnavigatethroughtext
Abletoprocesslengthy,complexsentences,containingprepositionalphrases,introductory
clauses,andlistsofnouns,verbs,oradjectives
Solvenewvocabularywords,somedefinedinthetextandsomeunexplained
Mostwordsolvingisunconsciousandautomatic;littleovertproblemsolvingneeded
Canreadandunderstanddescriptivewords,somecomplexcontentspecificwords,andsome
technicalwords

F&PTextGradientLevelssae92011

Wordsolvingissmoothandautomaticwithbothoralandsilentreading
Demonstrateallaspectsofsmooth,fluentprocessing

Q:CharacteristicsofTextsatLevelQ:

Informationaltexts,morecomplexfantasy,realisticfiction,traditionalliterature(folktales),
biographies,autobiographies,memoirs,mysteries,historicalfiction,shortstories,genre
combinations(hybrids),diaries
Manyabstractthemesrequiringinferentialthinkingtoderive
Textswithdeepermeaningsapplicabletoimportanthumanproblemsandsocialissues
Somemorechallengingthemes(war,theenvironment)
Manynewvocabularywordsthatdependonreaderstools(suchasglossaries)
Manynewvocabularywordsforreaderstoderivemeaningfromcontext
Extensiveuseoffigurativelanguage(idioms,simile,metaphor)
Wordsthatareseldomusedinorallanguageandaredifficulttodecode
Manytechnicalwordsthataredifficulttodecode
Nonfictionmaycontainavarietyofcomplexgraphics,oftenmorethanoneonapage
Somenonfictiontextswithgraphicsthathavescalesorlegendsthatrequireunderstandingand
interpretation

CharacteristicsofDevelopingIndependentReaders(ReadingatLevelQ):

Automaticallyreadandunderstandafullrangeofgenres,includingbiographies,hybridgenres,
fictionwithelaborateplotsandcomplexcharacters,informationaltexts,etc.
Abletoprocesslengthy,complexsentences,containingprepositionalphrases,introductory
clauses,andlistsofnouns,verbs,oradjectives
Solvenewvocabularywords,somedefinedinthetextandsomeunexplained
Mostreadingissilent,butfluencyandphrasinginoralreadingarewellestablished
Readersarechallengedbymanylongerdescriptivewordsandbycontentspecific/technical
words
Abletotakeapartmultisyllablewordsanduseafullrangeofwordsolvingskills
Readandunderstandtextsinavarietyoflayoutsandformats
Consistentlysearchforinformationinillustrationsandincreasinglycomplexgraphics

R:CharacteristicsofTextsatLevelR:

Informationaltexts,morecomplexfantasy,realisticfiction,traditionalliterature(folktales),
biographies,autobiographies,memoirs,mysteries,historicalfiction,shortstories,genre
combinations(hybrids),diaries
Somecollectionsofshortstoriesthathaveinterrelatedthemesorbuildasingleplotacrossthe
book
Fictionsettingsrequiringknowledgeofcontent(history,geography,etc.)
Complexideasonmanydifferenttopicsrequiringrealorvicariousexperiences
Longstretchesofdescriptivelanguagethatareimportanttounderstandingthesettingand
characters

F&PTextGradientLevelssae92011

Somelongstringsofunassigneddialoguefromwhichstoryactionmustbeinferred
Settingsdistantintimeandspacefromstudentsexperiences
Manynewvocabularywordsforreaderstoderivemeaningfromcontext
Extensiveuseoffigurativelanguage(idioms,simile,metaphor)
Wordswithawidevarietyofverycomplexspellingpatterns
Wordsthatareseldomusedinorallanguageandaredifficulttodecode

CharacteristicsofDevelopingIndependentReaders(ReadingatLevelR):

Automaticallyreadandunderstandafullrangeofgenres,includingbiographies,hybridgenres,
fictionwithelaborateplotsandcomplexcharacters,informationaltexts,etc.
Understandperspectivesdifferentfromtheirownaswellassettingsandpeoplefardistantin
timeandspace
Abletoprocesslengthy,complexsentences,containingprepositionalphrases,introductory
clauses,andlistsofnouns,verbs,oradjectives
Solvenewvocabularywords,somedefinedinthetextandsomeunexplained
Mostreadingissilent,butfluencyandphrasinginoralreadingarewellestablished
Readersarechallengedbymanylongerdescriptivewordsandbycontentspecific/technical
words
Abletotakeapartmultisyllablewordsanduseafullrangeofwordsolvingskills
Readandunderstandtextsinavarietyoflayoutsandformats
Consistentlysearchforinformationinillustrationsandincreasinglycomplexgraphics

S:CharacteristicsofTextsatLevelS:

Informationaltexts,morecomplexfantasy,realisticfiction,traditionalliterature(folktales),
biographies,autobiographies,memoirs,mysteries,historicalfiction,shortstories,genre
combinations(hybrids),diaries
Somecollectionsofshortstoriesthathaveinterrelatedthemesorbuildasingleplotacrossthe
book
Contentparticularlyappealingtoadolescents
Somefictionsettingsrequiringknowledgeofcontent(history,geography,etc.)
Complexideasonmanydifferenttopicsrequiringrealorvicariousexperiences
Longstretchesofdescriptivelanguagethatareimportanttounderstandingthesettingand
characters
Somelongstringsofunassigneddialoguefromwhichstoryactionmustbeinferred
Manynewvocabularywordsthatdependonreaderstools(suchasglossaries)
Manynewvocabularywordsforreaderstoderivemeaningfromcontext
Extensiveuseoffigurativelanguage(idioms,simile,metaphor)
Wordswithawidevarietyofverycomplexspellingpatterns
Wordsthatareseldomusedinorallanguageandaredifficulttodecode
Manywordswithaffixes(prefixesandsuffixes,multisyllablepropernounsthataredifficultto
decode)
Increasinglydifficultlayoutofinformationaltexts,withdensecontentandformat

F&PTextGradientLevelssae92011

CharacteristicsofDevelopingIndependentReaders(ReadingatLevelS):

Automaticallyreadandunderstandafullrangeofgenres,includingbiographiesonlesswell
knownsubjects,hybridgenres,fictionwithelaborateplotsandcomplexcharacters,
informationaltexts,etc.
Abletoprocesslengthy,complexsentences,containingprepositionalphrases,introductory
clauses,andlistsofnouns,verbs,oradjectives
Understandperspectivesdifferentfromtheirownaswellassettingsandpeoplefardistantin
timeandspace
Abletoprocesslengthy,complexsentences,containingprepositionalphrases,introductory
clauses,andlistsofnouns,verbs,oradjectives
Solvenewvocabularywords,somedefinedinthetextandsomeunexplained
Mostreadingissilent,butfluencyandphrasinginoralreadingarewellestablished
Readersarechallengedbymanylongerdescriptivewordsandbycontentspecific/technical
words
Abletotakeapartmultisyllablewordsanduseafullrangeofwordsolvingskills
Readandunderstandtextsinavarietyoflayoutsandformats
Consistentlysearchforinformationinillustrationsandincreasinglycomplexgraphics

T:CharacteristicsofTextsatLevelT:

Informationaltexts,morecomplexfantasy,realisticfiction,traditionalliterature(folktales),
biographies,autobiographies,memoirs,mysteries,historicalfiction,shortstories,genre
combinations(hybrids),diaries
Somecollectionsofshortstoriesthathaveinterrelatedthemesorbuildasingleplotacrossthe
book
Nonfictiontextswithmultipletopicsandcategoriesandsubcategorieswithinthem
Themesfocusingontheproblemsofpreadolescents
Manytextsfocusingonhumanproblems(war,hardship,economicissues)
Themesthatevokealternativeinterpretations
Somemorecomplexfantasyelements,someshowingconflictbetweengoodandevil
Someobvioussymbolism
Widerangeofdeclarative,imperative,orinterrogativesentences
Manywordswithaffixes(prefixesandsuffixes,multisyllablepropernounsthataredifficultto
decode)
Wordsusedinregionalorhistoricaldialects
SomewordsfromlanguagesotherthanEnglish
Mosttextswithnooronlyminimalillustrations

CharacteristicsofIndependentReaders(ReadingatLevelT):

Automaticallyreadandunderstandafullrangeofgenres,includingbiographiesonlesswell
knownsubjects,hybridgenres,fictionwithelaborateplotsandcomplexcharacters,
informationaltexts,etc.

F&PTextGradientLevelssae92011

Abletoreadlongertextsandrememberinformationandconnectideasoveralongperiodof
time(aweekortwo)
Readandinterpretcomplexfantasy,myths,legendsthatcontainsymbolism
Understandperspectivesdifferentfromtheirown
Understandsettingsandpeoplefardistantintimeandspace
Readersarechallengedbymanylongerdescriptivewordsandbycontentspecific/technical
words
Readandunderstandtextsinavarietyoflayoutsandformats

U:CharacteristicsofTextsatLevelU:

Informationaltexts,complexfantasy,realisticfiction,traditionalliterature(folktales),
biographies,autobiographies,memoirs,mysteries,historicalfiction,shortstories,genre
combinations(hybrids),diaries
Varietyofunderlyingstructuresoftencombinedincomplexways(description,comparisonand
contrast,temporalsequence,problemandsolution,etc.)
Topicsthatgowellbeyondreaderspersonalexperiencesandcontentknowledge
Contentparticularlyappealingtoadolescents
Manythemespresentingmatureissuesandtheproblemsofsociety(racism,war)
Manytextsfocusingonhumanproblems(war,hardship,economicissues)
Themesthatevokealternativeinterpretations
Textsrequiringinferencetounderstandcharactersandwhytheychange
Manycomplexnarrativesthatarehighlyliterary
Someliterarydevices(forexample,storieswithinstories,symbolism,andfigurativelanguage
Fantasyandsciencefictionshowingstrugglebetweengoodandevil
SomewordsfromlanguagesotherthanEnglish
Long,multisyllablewordsrequiringattentiontorootstoreadandunderstand
Mostfictiontextswithnoillustrationsotherthanthecoverjacket
Awidevarietyofcomplexgraphicsthatrequireinterpretation(photoswithlegends,diagrams,
labels,cutaways,graphics,maps)

CharacteristicsofIndependentReaders(ReadingatLevelU):

Automaticallyreadandunderstandafullrangeofgenres,includingbiographiesonlesswell
knownsubjects,hybridgenres,fictionwithelaborateplotsandcomplexcharacters,
informationaltexts,etc.
Abletoreadlongertextsandrememberinformationandconnectideasovermanydaysof
reading
Readandinterpretcomplexfantasy,myths,legendsthatcontainsymbolism
Understandperspectivesdifferentfromtheirown
Understandsettingsandpeoplefardistantintimeandspace
Mostreadingissilent,butfluencyandphrasinginoralreadingarewellestablished
Abletotakeapartmultisyllablewordsanduseafullrangeofwordsolvingskills
Readandunderstandtextsinavarietyoflayoutsandformats

F&PTextGradientLevelssae92011

Abletosearchforanduseinformationinanintegratedway,usingcomplexgraphicsandtexts
thatpresentcontentrequiringbackgroundknowledge

V:CharacteristicsofTextsatLevelV:

Informationaltexts,complexfantasy,realisticfiction,traditionalliterature(folktales),
biographies,autobiographies,memoirs,mysteries,historicalfiction,shortstories,genre
combinations(hybrids),diaries
Varietyofunderlyingstructuresoftencombinedincomplexways(description,comparisonand
contrast,temporalsequence,problemandsolution,etc.)
Topicsthatgowellbeyondreaderspersonalexperiencesandcontentknowledge
Criticalthinkingrequiredtojudgeauthenticityofinformationaltexts,historicalfiction,and
biography
Heavycontentloadinmanytexts,bothfictionandnonfiction,requiringstudy
Manythemespresentingmatureissuesandtheproblemsofsociety(racism,war)
Manytextsfocusingonhumanproblems(war,hardship,economicissues)
Themesthatevokealternativeinterpretations
Someswitchingfromsettingtosetting,includingtimechange(oftenunsignaled,orsignaled
onlybydialogue)
Fullrangeofliterarydevices(forexample,flashback,storieswithinstories,symbolism,and
figurativelanguage)
Manycomplexnarrativesthatarehighlyliterary
Wordsusedfigurativelyorwithunusualorhardtounderstandconnotations
ArchaicwordsorwordsfromlanguagesotherthanEnglishthatdonotfollowconventional
pronunciationpatterns
Introductiontomoreabstractliteraryforms,suchassatire

CharacteristicsofIndependentReaders(ReadingatLevelV):

Automaticallyreadandunderstandafullrangeofgenres,includingbiographiesonlesswell
knownsubjects,hybridgenres,fictionwithelaborateplotsandcomplexcharacters,
informationaltexts,etc.
Abletoreadlongertextsandrememberinformationandconnectideasovermanydaysof
reading
Readandinterpretcomplexfantasy,myths,legendsthatcontainsymbolism
Abletoreadandinterpretmoreabstractformsofliterature(satire)
Understandperspectivesdifferentfromtheirown
Understandsettingsandpeoplefardistantintimeandspace
Readerscanbeveryexpressivewhenpresentingpoetryorreaderstheater
Readandunderstandtextsinavarietyoflayoutsandformats
Abletosearchforanduseinformationinanintegratedway,usingcomplexgraphicsandtexts
thatpresentcontentrequiringbackgroundknowledge

F&PTextGradientLevelssae92011

W:CharacteristicsofTextsatLevelW:

Informationaltexts,morecomplexfantasy,realisticfiction,traditionalliterature(myths,
legends),biographies,autobiographies,memoirs,mysteries,historicalfiction,shortstories,
genrecombinations(hybrids),diaries,satire
Unusualtextorganizations(e.g.flashbacks)
Manytextspresentingmaturesocietalissues,especiallythoseimportanttoadolescents(family
issues,growingup)
Widerangeofchallengingthemesthatbuildsocialawarenessandrevealinsightsintothe
humancondition
Characterinterpretationessentialtounderstandthetheme
Fantasyincorporatingclassicalmotifs(suchasthequest)
Criticalthinkingrequiredtojudgeauthenticityofinformationaltexts,historicalfiction,and
biography
Heavycontentloadinmanytexts,bothfictionandnonfiction,requiringstudy
Themesthatevokealternativeinterpretations
Someswitchingfromsettingtosetting,includingtimechange(oftenunsignaled,orsignaled
onlybydialogue)
Fullrangeofliterarydevices(forexample,flashback,storieswithinstories,symbolism,and
figurativelanguage)
Wordsusedfigurativelyorwithunusualorhardtounderstandconnotations
ArchaicwordsorwordsfromlanguagesotherthanEnglishthatdonotfollowconventional
pronunciationpatterns
Wordsthatofferdecodingchallengesbecausetheyarearchaic,comefromregionaldialect,or
fromlanguagesotherthanEnglish

CharacteristicsofIndependentReaders(ReadingatLevelW):

Automaticallyreadandunderstandafullrangeofgenres,includingbiographiesonlesswell
knownsubjects,hybridgenres,fictionwithelaborateplotsandcomplexcharacters,
informationaltexts,etc.
Abletoreadlongertextsandrememberinformationandconnectideasovermanydaysof
reading
Readandinterpretcomplexfantasy,myths,legendsthatcontainsymbolismandclassicalmotifs
(thequest)
Encountermaturethemesthatexpandtheirknowledgeofsocialissues
Abletoreadandinterpretmoreabstractformsofliterature(satire),andliterarydevices,suchas
irony
Understandmultidimensionalthemesonseveraldifferentlevels
Understandsettingsandpeoplefardistantintimeandspace
Readerscanbeveryexpressivewhenpresentingpoetryorreaderstheater
Readandunderstandtextsinavarietyoflayoutsandformats
Applybackgroundknowledgeofhistoricalevents,archaiclanguageand/orregionaldialects
whenreading

F&PTextGradientLevelssae92011

X:CharacteristicsofTextsatLevelX:

Informationaltexts,highfantasyandsciencefiction,realisticfiction,traditionalliterature
(myths,legends),biographies,autobiographies,memoirs,mysteries,historicalfiction,short
stories,genrecombinations(hybrids),diaries,satire
Criticalthinkingrequiredtojudgeauthenticityofinformationaltexts,historicalfiction,and
biography
Manytextspresentingmaturesocietalissues,especiallythoseimportanttoadolescents(family
issues,growingup)
Widerangeofchallengingthemesthatbuildsocialawarenessandrevealinsightsintothe
humancondition
Manytextspresentingmultiplethemesthatmaybeunderstoodinmanylayers
Sometextswithheroicorlargerthanlifecharacterswhorepresentthesymbolicstruggle
betweengoodandevil
Longstretchesofdescriptivelanguagethatareimportanttounderstandingsettingand
charactersFullrangeofliterarydevices(forexample,flashback,storieswithinstories,
symbolism,andfigurativelanguage)
Someswitchingfromsettingtosetting,includingtimechange(oftenunsignaled,orsignaled
onlybydialogue)
Someverylongsentences(morethanthirtywords)
Wordsthatofferdecodingchallengesbecausetheyarearchaic,comefromregionaldialect,or
fromlanguagesotherthanEnglish

CharacteristicsofIndependentReaders(ReadingatLevelX):

Understandandprocessawiderangeoftexts,includingallgenres
Abletoreadverylongtextswithcomplexsentencesandparagraphs,withmanymultisyllable
words
Understandandrespondtomaturethemessuchaspovertyandwar
Abletoreadandinterpretmoreabstractformsofliterature(satire),andliterarydevices,suchas
irony
Readandunderstandtextswithmultidimensionalcharacters,textsthatcanbeinterpretedon
severallevels,andthataredevelopedincomplexways
Mostreadingissilent;fluencyandphrasinginoralreadingiswellestablished
Challengedbyaheavyloadofcontentspecificandtechnicalwordsthatrequireusing
embeddeddefinitions,backgroundknowledge,andreaderstools(glossaries,indexes,etc.)
Applypriorunderstandingsinacriticalwaywhenreadingbothfictionandnonfictiontexts

Y/Z:CharacteristicsofTextsatLevelsY/Z:

Informationaltexts,highfantasyandsciencefiction,realisticfiction,traditionalliterature
(myths,legends),biographies,autobiographies,memoirs,mysteries,historicalfiction,short
stories,genrecombinations(hybrids),diaries,satire
Manytextswiththecomplexstructureofadultreading
Unusualtextorganizations(flashback,flashforward,timelapses)

F&PTextGradientLevelssae92011

Manynewvocabularywordsthatreadersmustderivemeaningfromcontextoruseglossariesor
dictionaries
Criticalthinkingrequiredtojudgeauthenticityofinformationaltexts,historicalfiction,and
biography
Manytextspresentingmaturesocietalissues,especiallythoseimportanttoadolescents(family
issues,growingup)
Widerangeofchallengingthemesthatbuildsocialawarenessandrevealinsightsintothe
humancondition
Manytextspresentingmultiplethemesthatmaybeunderstoodinmanylayers
Sometextswithheroicorlargerthanlifecharacterswhorepresentthesymbolicstruggle
betweengoodandevil
Longstretchesofdescriptivelanguagethatareimportanttounderstandingsettingand
charactersFullrangeofliterarydevices(forexample,flashback,storieswithinstories,
symbolism,andfigurativelanguage)
Someswitchingfromsettingtosetting,includingtimechange(oftenunsignaled,orsignaled
onlybydialogue)
Someverylongsentences(morethanthirtywords)
Wordsthatofferdecodingchallengesbecausetheyarearchaic,comefromregionaldialect,or
fromlanguagesotherthanEnglish

CharacteristicsofIndependentReaders(ReadingatLevelsY/Z):

Understandandprocessawiderangeoftexts,includingallgenres
Readverylongtextswithcomplexsentencesandparagraphs,withmanymultisyllablewords
Identifyclassicalmotifssuchasthequestandmoralissues
Abletoreadandinterpretmoreabstractformsofliterature(satire),andliterarydevices,suchas
irony
Readandunderstandtextswithmultidimensionalcharacters,textsthatcanbeinterpretedon
severallevels,andthataredevelopedincomplexways
Mostreadingissilent;fluencyandphrasinginoralreadingiswellestablished
Challengedbyaheavyloadofcontentspecificandtechnicalwordsthatrequireusing
embeddeddefinitions,backgroundknowledge,andreaderstools(glossaries,indexes,etc.)
Applypriorunderstandingsinacriticalwaywhenreadingbothfictionandnonfictiontexts

F&PTextGradientLevelssae92011