Leveled books for kindergarten
The Best Leveled Books from Scholastic Reading Club
Why is it so difficult to find books that kindergarten students can actually read? When school starts up in the fall, I always tell my classroom parents at curriculum night that the best source of age-appropriate reading material is Scholastic Book Orders. Not only does Scholastic Reading Club offer the best prices around, but they are often the only place I can find books for my emergent readers. You know what I mean: the kind of books with big print, only 1 sentence on each page, and lots of repetition.
I recently cashed in my bonus points to purchase some new leveled reading materials for my classroom. I ordered my go-to favorite books and took a chance on some new series. I know how disappointing it can be to order books that you think will be a perfect fit for your students, only to realize that they are too difficult, have too small of print or are just plain not interesting enough for kids to read. I also know that extra cash (or bonus points) for classroom books is a valuable commodity that teachers do not like to waste.
Take a peek at some of new titles I added to my classroom library. I took plenty of photos to give you an inside peek so you can make an informed decision about whether or not these titles are a good fit for your students.
This blog post was not sponsored in any way. Nor does it contain affiliate links. I just really know how difficult it can be to build a classroom library for emergent readers and I want to help make your job easier without the risk of wasted money.
Where to Find Book Level Information from Scholastic Reading Club
Before I dive in to show you my recent purchases, let’s take a second to talk about reading levels. There are multiple systems for leveling books. The most common systems are Lexile (LEX), Guided Reading Level (GRL) and Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA). Different schools use different types of assessments to determine their students’ reading levels. In my classroom, I assess using the DRA system, but I label the books in my library using Guided Reading Level Labels.
You can find a reading level equivalency chart here.
Scholastic does not provide reading level information for every book they sell in Scholastic Reading Club, but they do share the reading level of some books. You can find the reading level in small text at the bottom of a listing in the catalog and below the price of a book if you are shopping online.
I really wish that Scholastic would provide a reading level for every book that they publish and carry in Scholastic Reading Club. I also wish they offered a book order catalog that only contained Guided Reading Levels A-D so I could easily shop for my kindergarten classroom library, but that is a different blog post for a different day. For now, I just have to skim the book order for my desired reading levels. There are usually 2-4 items offered in each flyer.
Guided Science Readers™ from Scholastic (A-D)
When I order books from Scholastic, I almost always purchase the latest set of Guided Science Readers.
They usually offer new titles seasonally and I scoop them up every chance I get.
First off, these little books are a gold mine in part because they are non-fiction. Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past few years, you know how essential nonfiction texts are to curriculum, especially when it comes to the Common Core. Not only is it important to expose children to as many nonfiction texts as possible, but children happen to love nonfiction. Especially about animals. They are intrigued by photos and facts and often want to learn as much as possible.
Usually, however, there is a downside to nonfiction texts. They are often much more difficult to read. And the very topic that would otherwise inspire a love of reading can easily break a child down because it is simply too much of a challenge for a beginning reader to take on.
With Guided Science Readers™, however, that is not the case! Interesting nonfiction topics that are easy to read for all kindergarten students makes these books the best of both words.
This particular pack, like many other Guided Science Reader sets from Scholastic, contained a variety of books from Guided Reading Level A-D.
Level A Text Features
The Guided Reading Level A texts feature short sentences with plenty of picture support and a lot of repetition. The text is presented in a nice, big print that is easy for students to point to and maintain focus. The short sentence are also loaded with critical sight words for young readers. These Level A texts are perfect for building reading confidence – which is exactly what my kindergarten students that are a Level A need!
I happily added these books to the “Level A” basket of my classroom library.
Level B Text Features
The Level B books included in this pack of Guided Science Readers also contained the same great picture support, sight words, simple sentence structure and repetition. Two lines of text are presented on each page to provide just enough of a challenge for readers, while still allowing them to build confidence and feel the excitement of success while reading.
Level C Text Features
Children reading at a Level C are ready to initiate problem solving strategies to solve unknown words and these texts mix in a few sentence with unpredictable words and sentence patterns. These added challenges are balanced out with some sentence and sight word repetition so children don’t feel overwhelmed by the challenge. You may also notice that the print in the level C books is a little smaller than it was in the level B books.
Level D Text Features
For my more advanced kindergarten readers, Level D books are a great fit! These Guided Science Readers offer smaller text with longer sentences. I love how these books even used nonfiction text features to illustrate key words and concepts. It’s a great way to introduce these features in a way that is accessible to all children.
Guided Science Readers Levels E and F
Before this year, I had only seen Guided Science Readers available in Levels A-D.
I think Scholastic must realize how much classroom teachers love these books because I was overjoyed to discover that they offered a pack of Levels E and F this fall!
These books were the same great text format that my students love, with small added challenges for more advanced readers.
After several years of stocking up on Scholastic books, I have actually built up a significant stock of Level A-D texts for my classroom library but my box of Level E books is somewhat limited. These were a great addition to the collection.
National Geographic Kids™ Sight Words Box Set
While I absolutely adore my Guided Science Readers, I am always looking to expand my nonfiction book collection and provide a greater variety of nonfiction books in my classroom library. I took a chance and ordered the National Geographic Kids™ Sight Word Box Set. They have a Guided Reading Level of C-F, which meant they had potential for my higher readers.
Each book in the set clearly labeled which sight words were featured inside.
The texts seemed like they would be a great fit for my Level C-F readers and I really liked that the featured sight words are in bold on each page.
You can see from the photo above and the one below that there was a repetitive pattern to the text. This was “book 2” in the set, so I’m sure it was a Level C (other books were more challenging) but it seemed to be an accurately labeled as a Level C text.
I Can Read! Penguin Young Readers Pack Levels B-D
Leveled fiction texts are always easier to come across on Scholastic. I had never purchased any Penguin Young Readers books, but I took a chance and ordered the I Can Read! Level B-D Pack.
The books varied in difficulty but they were pretty good. The text wasn’t over-the-top interesting (it rarely is for books that are easy to read), but these little books did the best they could.
I was particularly happy to see this book in the collection that used speech bubbles and simple print.
I’m guessing this was a Level B text. It was a sweet book and this student loved it.
Just- Right Readers Community Pack (A-C)
The Just-Right Readers Community Pack appeared to be a good fit for my early readers as well. Fiction stories may not be as engaging as non-fiction, but this pack was about community helpers and many kindergarten students love reading about community helpers.
Even though the pack said it was for children reading as low as a Level A, I definitely could not see how any of my lowest kindergarten readers would be successful reading these books. This was one of the easiest books in the set and those sight words (write, with, our) were just too hard. I could see my children reading one difficult sight word, but three tough ones in the same sentence? It wasn’t going to work with my students that really struggle.
While I would hesitate to classify these books as a Level A in my own classroom library, I would agree that the books were a good fit for Level B and Level C readers.
Sofia the First Reader Box Set
For the final set of books that I purchased, I may have actually lost my mind a little. I never purchase character books from Scholastic. Ever. Not even when they come in a boxed set that says “sight words” or “phonics” because the words that are integral to any famous animated character storytelling are too difficult for most kindergarteners to read independently.
Do kindergarteners love books featuring their favorite characters? Absolutely.
Can a kindergarten student read those beloved character books independently? Probably not.
I invest in books for my library that are leveled and likely to help my students be successful when they read. Character books usually do not accomplish this task. Which is why I have no idea what compelled me to purchase the Sofia the First Reader Box Set.
In all honesty, I don’t have a clue who Sofia is. I recognize the three fairies from Disney’s Sleeping Beauty so I can only assume that Sofia is some sort of spin-off.
I think I purchased this set because I was feeling very hopeful when I saw that some of the books were classified as Level A. Character books are motivating and I would be thrilled to find character books that my students can actually read.
Some of the books made me think that it might be possible for my students to have success. Like this one with the simple sentence “I am a friend”. I wish the print were bigger, but at least the text isn’t too much of a challenge.
This book appears to be a Level B text. Ok, not too bad…
And then I opened up a few more books. Ugh. I know that savvy readers who love Sofia could probably figure out that the long word that starts with a w is Whatnaught (whom I can only assume is a widely known Sofia character). But my low readers who might not be so savvy? They might immediately be intimidated by that crazy looking word.
And then there was the word headmistress. Sigh.
These would be great stories for a parent to read to a child at bedtime (and the child could learn the challenging words after hearing them read several times) but I’m not convinced that they were the best purchase for my classroom library.
I’ll add them to my book leveled book boxes and see what happens.
Straight Talk About Leveled Books
I am so happy to add all of these new titles to my classroom library, but I was a little disappointed with the level identification. Of this entire collection, only one set of books was easy to determine the exact reading level: the Scholastic Guided Readers. They clearly displayed the book level right on the front cover. The other books were all listed as range of reading levels, but it was impossible to easily identify the reading level of individual books in the set. Typically, I would just scan the books with one of the book leveling apps on my iPhone, but sadly every book that I attempted to scan said that book level information was not available. I was pretty disappointed that books I ordered from Scholastic were not indexed in Scholastic’s Book Wizard app. I hope that they update their database soon with more information about the books they sell in Scholastic Reading Club.
If you want to know more about the tools I use to level my classroom library, you can read all about it in this blog post.
Increase Parent Purchases from Scholastic Book Orders
One of the easiest (and most affordable) ways to stock up a classroom library is through Scholastic Reading Club. It’s even better when you can cash in bonus points to get those books for FREE. This blog post has all my best tips to help you boost parent orders from Scholastic Reading Club. The more parents purchase, the more you can build your own library. It’s win-win.
Check out My Newly Updated Classroom Library
My own kindergarten classroom library is filled with books from Scholastic. The library got a big makeover this year. You can see all of the details of how I organized the library in this blog post.
Leveled Books
Home > Leveled Books
As a member of Raz-Plus, you gain access to thousands of leveled books, assessments, and other resources in printable, projectable, digital, and mobile formats.
Ensure success in your classroom and beyond with engaging, developmentally appropriate books at various levels of text complexity. Students can read texts at different levels and in their areas of interest anytime with 24/7 Web access to the practice they need to become better, more confident readers. Easily assign books using the Assign button on the book's thumbnail or landing page.
More About Leveled Books
Showing 812 of 812 books View
The Birthday Party Level aa Fiction
City Street Level aa Nonfiction
The City Level aa Nonfiction
The Classroom Level aa Nonfiction
Farm Animals Level aa Nonfiction
Fido Gets Dressed Level aa Fiction
The Fort Level aa Nonfiction
The Garden Level aa Nonfiction
Good Night Level aa Fiction
In Level aa Fiction
It Is Fall Level aa Nonfiction
Little Level aa Nonfiction
My Family Level aa Fiction
On Level aa Fiction
Play Ball! Level aa Nonfiction
The Playground Level aa Nonfiction
Spring Level aa Nonfiction
Summer Level aa Nonfiction
Summer Picnics Level aa Nonfiction
We Go Camping Level aa Fiction
Yellow Level aa Nonfiction
All Kinds of Faces Level A Nonfiction
Athletes Level A Nonfiction
Baby Animals Level A Nonfiction
Bedtime Counting Level A Fiction
The Big Cat Level A Fiction
Bird Colors Level A Nonfiction
Bird Goes Home Level A Fiction
Building with Blocks Level A Fiction
Car Parts Level A Nonfiction
Carlos Counts Kittens Level A Fiction
Carlos Goes to School Level A Fiction
Clean, Not Clean Level A Fiction
The Forest Level A Nonfiction
Going Places Level A Nonfiction
Hot and Cold Level A Nonfiction
10 interesting books for young children and preschoolers: from fairy tales to instructive stories
Preschoolers can only be envied.
They have an endless supply of great children's books, no summer recommended reading lists, and parents and grandparents ready to read aloud. We have selected books for you that will appeal not only to children, but also to adults - because they will read them together.
1. Marfa from Sosnovka, Nina Pavlova
Martha Pig comes out of any situation with a high snout. Charismatic, goal-oriented and very enterprising. Flight to the moon? Own icebreaker? Easily! And in general, the whole order in Sosnovka rests solely on this mischievous, eccentric, infinitely kind and risky pig.
Funny and instructive stories, in the epigraph to which it says that there is a little bit of Martha in every reader.
2. "The Secret of Chocolate Bunnies", Valentina Degteva
Every child at least once in his life dreamed of growing up quickly to become an adult and that his parents and grandparents would understand him. But Timofey Kornev faced the opposite problem: his relatives suddenly became his peers! And how to return everything to its place in the remaining half an hour before the New Year, and even in the company of a good-for-nothing Santa Claus, is completely incomprehensible.
A funny and instructive story about how important it is to correctly formulate your desires, and about how to deal with the requirements and expectations of parents.
3. "Let's go catch the monster!", Asya Ploshkina
If the children, Lelya and Petrik, decide to put things in order in Mirror Bay, which was covered in fog by some sea monster, then they will certainly cope. Even if they are expected to meet with vampires, trolls, mermaids and huge mountain snails, and the caves under the Giant Mountain are still fraught with a lot of secrets and obstacles insurmountable for adults.
4. How the Cricket Got Well by Toon Tellegen
A cozy and slow-paced story that helps children better deal with their emotions. In this philosophical tale, Toon Tellegen tells children in simple language about the "gloomy feeling" that has settled in the cricket's head - depression.
And what if you don't even want to celebrate your own birthday? All the forest dwellers rush to help, each with their own history and character.
Of course, the "gloomy feeling" will go away, and the children, turning over the last page of the book, will remain with the confidence that any troubles can be overcome with the support of loved ones.
5. "Library", Sarah Stewart
A funny story in verse for one tooth for those who love to read, but are embarrassed to admit it. No wonder - after all, everyone around is dancing, walking and doing who knows what! But Elizabeth Brown prefers to read and spend all her money not on shoes, but on books. True, soon there will be no room at all in the house, and then ... What will happen next, you will find out when you finish reading the book to the end.
6. Captain Nemo, Winnie Ang, Charlotte Severins
Jakob doesn't like solving examples, but loves the sea and drawing fish. He dreams of building a submarine and conquering the depths of the sea. Parents will definitely remember the story of Captain Nemo, and this colorful book motivates children not to give up and go towards their dream, even if everyone around is against it.
7. Petrushka the Lion by Michael Bond
Paddington Bear definitely has a competitor! Leo Petrushka and his friend the dog Dill live in the Garden of Herbs and Spices, and their life is wonderful, because you never know what will happen to you the next moment. And what happens to them is an egg mess, and an exhibition of sketches, more like the fact that a trash can exploded near a Bay leaf, and also an inventive and automotive mood and ... you can’t remember everything.
Funny and funny stories with a game of words and meanings in the best traditions of classical English literature. Children will receive lessons for all occasions, and parents will enjoy a great sense of humor. And, by the way, they will replenish their piggy bank of ideas for games with preschoolers.
8. "Skunk and Badger" by Amy Timberlake
Can a Badger the Stoneman (almost like a round dance, only about stones) and a Skunk with a chicken whistle in a suitcase get along under the same roof of a red brick house? A children's book filled with a lot of meanings for adults.
Children will find in it tips on how to make friends and how to communicate, how to build personal boundaries and how to learn to be truly kind and responsive. And adults will enjoy the Easter eggs left for them about traveling salesmen and "hospitality".
9. "Bee music" and "Everything in the forest sings", Vasily Sukhomlinsky
For most people, Vasily Sukhomlinsky is an innovative teacher, the creator of the pedagogical system. And meanwhile, he was also a children's writer! And he wrote more than 1200 fairy tales and short stories.
The collections published in Rosmen on exclusive rights include Sukhomlinsky's most famous short stories about nature, children and animals. The texts easily and clearly tell children about important human values, show the difference between good and bad deeds and their consequences.
10. "Kindergarten, eighth group", Victoria Lederman
Light and funny poems for children who know what it's like to lie quietly under the covers at a quiet hour, when you want to indulge, and another children's song is spinning in your head, memorized in the morning at a music lesson.
And on the locker, instead of your favorite superheroes, there is a boring carrot. The collection contains a whole year of life in kindergarten from autumn to summer. By the way, the author has one more cycle - “We bought Sasha a hamster”. These books will be useful to those who decide to get a pet.
7 books about kindergarten: for children and even for parents
Will you take your child to kindergarten for the first time? There is still more than a month until September - a lot of time to prepare (for both him and you). And these books will help - understandable, funny and extremely useful.
"Little Theo Goes to Kindergarten" by Suzanne Gölich
A cute picture book that will do a great job preparing your child for the first trip to kindergarten. Koala Theo also goes there for the first time and is very worried, so much so that even his favorite teddy bear gets sick - but everything will be fine. And funny stories from the life of kindergarteners will inspire anyone to quickly go in search of new friends.
“No way!”, Beatrice Alemagna
The bat Pascalina doesn’t want to go to kindergarten for anything – and she tells everyone so. And it turns out that this one has her "no way!" magical effect: parents get smaller and smaller and... go to the garden with their naughty daughter. What will come of this? It's better for you to find out for yourself. But there is a small spoiler: by the end of the first day, Pascalina will realize that without parents, kindergarten would be much more interesting.
How Papa Became Little, Lars Mäle
Similar plot: Tina has to go to kindergarten with her dad, and not with an adult and serious, but with a small and mischievous one. That's more entertainment! Well, what to do: dad thought so, the wish came true, and Tina has to put up with it. An instructive story for children and parents - situations familiar to everyone, but not through the eyes of an adult, but through the eyes of a child. Believe me, you will have something to discuss with the future kindergartener.
Kindergarten on Wheels. Middle group, Zulya Stadnik
The second book in the Kindergarten on Wheels series. In fact, the author wrote stories for her daughter Solka - she has already grown up, but she asks for continuation. The excavator Klusha and the engine Shpunchik have grown up and now go to the middle group. They still listen to instructive tales that the strict but caring nanny Kerosin Benzinovich reads to them, draw fruits, play a lot and, of course, cannot resist pranks. Not exactly an instruction for survival in kindergarten, but an introduction to the topic - for sure.
“The Kindergarten of My Dreams”,
Kseniya Valakhanovych
A collection of poems by the well-known children's poetess Kseniya Valakhanovych, dedicated to kindergarten everyday life. The recipe for poems is simple: funny stories from the lives of kids, a play on words, a good portion of humor, mastery of form and, of course, love for children in every line.
“Anna will go to kindergarten tomorrow”, Maya Bessonova
Anya goes to kindergarten and learns to live by new rules, make friends, be independent and… do without her parents.
