This document provides a comparison chart of different reading level systems including Reading A-Z, Fountas and Pinnell, Reading Recovery, DRA, and PM Benchmarks. The chart lists the corresponding levels across systems from Kindergarten through 5th grade. It is intended to help teachers select books at an appropriate level of difficulty for students based on the leveling system used, since different systems may identify the same book differently.

1. Book Level Comparison Chart for Reading A-Z and Other Leveling Systems
Grade Reading a-z Fountas and Reading DRA PM Benchmarks
Pinnell Recovery
K aa A 1 A-1 1
K A A 1 A-1 1
K B B 2 2 2
K C C 3-4 3-4 2
1 D D 5-6 6 3- 5
1 E E 7-8 8 6-8
1 F F 9 - 10 10 9_ 10
1 G G 11 - 12 12 11-12
1 H H 13 - 14 14 13-14
1 I I 15 - 16 16 15-16
1 J J 17 18 17-18
2 K J 17 18 17-18
2 L K 18 20 19-20
2 M L 19 24 21,22
2 N M 20 28 23
2 O M 20 28 23
2 P M 28 28 23
3 Q N 30 30 24
3 R N 30 30 24
3 S O 34 34 25
3 T P 38 38 26
4 U Q 40 40 27
4 V Q 40 40 27
4 W R 40 40 28
5 X S 40 40 28
5 Y T 40 40 29
5 Z U-W N/A 44 29-30
This chart can help teachers who know the book level identified by one leveling system as
appropriate for a student’s independent or guided reading to find books of comparable difficulty
identified by a different leveling system. (Retrieved from http://www.readinga-
z.com/guided/index.html/correlation.html#levelingcriteria January 13, 2009; PM Benchmarks
levels added from “Book Leveling Conversion Chart,” 2006, YCDSB.)