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Levels Explained

Guidelines for Graded Readers (excluding isiXhosa)

Word and sentence complexity
Complexity:
  • Single words
  • Phrases
  • Sentences
  • Simple
Punctuation:
  • Commas, full stops.
  • Question marks?
  • Exclamation marks!
Average sentences per page
1A: max 1 sentence
1B: max 2 sentences
1C: max 3 sentences
Average words per sentence
1 to 7
Total words per book
1A: 40 words
1B: 50 words
1C: 60 words
Appropriate topics
  • Simple concepts
  • Simple plot (beginning, middle and ending)
Illustrations
  • At least 90% of page
  • Provide strong, direct support for text
  • Simple, clear, no clutter
Decodability
  • Focus on decodable words with target letters and previous letters
  • Patterns and repetition
  • Single graphemes/ letters
  • Predictable text
  • One to two key early sight words and basic high frequency words
  • Most words have low 1-3 syllables
Length and layout
  • 8 pages
  • Always consistent text placement
  • 1-2 lines per page
  • Clear line spacing
Word and sentence complexity
Complexity:
  • Simple sentences
  • Usually complete sentences.
Simple punctuation:
  • Commas, full stops.
  • Question marks?
  • Exclamation marks!
Average sentences per page
2A: 2 to 4 sentences
2B: max 5 sentences
2C: max 6 sentences
Average words per sentence
3 to 6
Total words per book
  • 2A: 90 words
  • 2B: 110 words
  • 2C: 130 words
Appropriate topics
  • Simple concepts
  • Simple plot (beginning, middle and ending)
  • Familiar situations
Illustrations
  • At least 80% of page
  • Illustrations directly support the meaning of the text
Decodability
  • Focus on decodable words with target letters and previous letters
  • Patterns and repetition
  • Single graphemes, addition of digraphs and blends
  • One to three high frequency and sight words
  • Most words have 1-4 syllables; some words will have 5 syllables
  • No unfamiliar/abstract concepts/words
Length and layout
  • 12-16 pages
  • Text often consistently placed
  • 2-6 lines per page
  • Clear line spacing
Word and sentence complexity
Complexity:
  • Simple sentences, getting longer
Increased punctuation:
  • Comma, full stops.
  • Question marks?
  • Exclamation marks!
  • “Speech marks”
Average sentences per page
3A: 2 to 4 sentences
3B: max 5 sentences
3C: max 6 sentences
Average words per sentence
4 - 8
Total words per book
3A: 150 words
3B: 180 words
3C: 210 words
Appropriate topics
  • Familiar or unfamiliar concepts, beginning to expand the child’s world
  • Simple series of events
  • Simple story line (set-up, rising action, climax, falling action and resolution)
Illustrations
  • At least 50% to 75% of page
  • Illustrations assist with meaning, but less explicitly than in levels 1 and 2
Decodability
  • Focus on decodable words with target letters and previous letters
  • Single graphemes, blends and digraphs
  • One to three high frequency and sight words
  • Most words have 2-5 syllables
  • Some unfamiliar words
  • Select abstract concepts/ideas
  • Use of simple dialogue
Length and layout
  • 16 - 20 pages
  • Placement of text is more flexible, but on a straight line
Word and sentence complexity
Complexity:
  • Simple and compound sentences
  • Words and structures become more complex
Increased punctuation:
  • Comma, full stops.
  • Question marks?
  • Exclamation marks!
  • “Speech marks”
Average sentences per page
4A: max 7
4B: max 8
4C: max 9
Average words per sentence
5-9 Up to 9 words per sentence.
Total words per book
4A: 350 words
4B: 500 words
4C: 750 words
Appropriate topics
  • Increased new themes, genres (including nonfiction) and topics
  • Complex story line (set-up, rising action, climax, falling action and resolution)
  • Introducing abstract concepts
Illustrations
  • Between 30% and 60% of page
  • Illustrations give less clues and meaning to the text
  • Can even have 1 or 2 pages without illustrations (to wean learners off the dependency on illustrations)
Decodability
  • Focus on decodable words with target sounds and previous sounds
  • Not based on the scope and sequence; may have a repetition of a specific grapheme
  • One to three high frequency and sight words
  • Most words have 2-5 syllables
  • Some unfamiliar words
  • More complex dialogue
  • Text bubbles may be used
Length and layout
  • 16-24 pages
  • Most likely portrait
  • Font and layout is more design-oriented
Word and sentence complexity
Complexity:
  • Simple and compound sentences
  • Words and structures become more complex
Increased punctuation:
  • Comma, full stops.
  • Question marks?
  • Exclamation marks!
  • “Speech marks”
Average sentences per page
8 - 12
Average words per sentence
6-12 Up to 12 words per sentence.
Total words per book
50 to 80 words per page
1 000 – 1 500 words per book
Appropriate topics
  • Increased new themes, genres (including non-fiction) and topics
  • Complex story line (set-up, rising action, climax, falling action and resolution)
  • Introducing abstract concepts
Illustrations
  • Between 30% and 60% of page
  • Illustrations give less clues and meaning to the text
  • Can even have 1 or 2 pages without illustrations (to wean learners off the dependency on illustrations)
Decodability
  • Focus on decodable words with target sounds and previous sounds
  • Not based on the scope and sequence; may have a repetition of a specific grapheme
  • One to three high frequency and sight words
  • Most words have 2-5 syllables
  • Some unfamiliar words
  • More complex dialogue
  • Text bubbles may be used
Length and layout
  • 16-24 pages
  • Most likely portrait
  • Font and layout is more design-oriented

Guidelines for Storybooks

Storybook levels are clearly explained and will guide your storybook selection process.

Levels Description
Level 1 - First words Single words or a short simple sentence; up to 11 words per page.
Level 2 - First sentences Two or three short sentences; 11–25 words per page.
Level 3 - First paragraphs One or two short paragraphs; 26–51 words per page.
Level 4 - Longer paragraphs Two or more paragraphs; 51–75 words per page.
Level 5 - Read aloud Fewer pictures; more than 76 words per page.

These levels refer to the reading level of a child and have no significance on the grade of a learner.