American Reading Company levels are independent reading levels. A reader’s color level is the highest grade level he or she can read, understand, and enjoy without any help.
The independent level is not the level at which a student reads challenge-free. It is the level at which students can successfully manage the challenges they encounter on their own.
Guided Reading and other instructional levels assume a teacher is there to introduce the book and provide some help where needed. However, the following correlations may be useful.
| Grade | IRLA | Lexile Text Measures® | “Stretch” Lexile Brand | Guided Reading (F & P) | DRA (Joetta Beaver) | Reading Recovery |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| K |
2Y (2-Yellow) 1G (1-Green) |
— | — | A, B | A–2 | A, B, 1, 2, 3 |
| 1 |
2G (2-Green) 1B (1-Blue) 2B (2-Blue) |
200L–400L | — | C–I | 3–16 | 4–16 |
| 2 |
1R (1-Red) 2R (2-Red) |
300L–500L | 450L–790L | J–M | 18–28 | 17–20 |
| 3 |
Wt (White) |
500L–700L | N–P | 30–38 | 21–24 | |
| 4 |
Bk (Black) |
650L–850L | 770L–980L | Q, R | 40 | 25, 26 |
| 5 |
Or (Orange) |
750L–950L | S–V | 50 | 27, 28 | |
| 6 |
Pu (Purple) |
850L–1050L | 995L–1155L | W–Y | 60 | 29, 30 |
| 7 & 8 |
1Br (1-Bronze) 2Br (2-Bronze) |
950L–1100L | Z | 70 | 31–44 | |
| 9 & 10 |
Si (Silver) |
1050L–1200L | 1080L–1305L | — | — | — |
| 11 & 12 |
Gl (Gold) |
1100L–1300 | 1215L–1355 | — | — | — |
The IRLA provides comprehensive details about each reading level in American Reading Company’s leveling system. Learn more »