The Extensive Reading Foundation Graded Reader Level Scale: Chart

This table is (and will always be) a work in progress and gives approximate levels for each graded reader series by most of the major publishers. Sorry it's so big! For details of the scale itself click here. I listed here only books written specifically for foreign and second language learners, not materials written for first language reading.

The books are positioned based on headwords primarily, and in the absence of such, readability factors and 'best guesses.'  The comparison table shows how the scale compares to other major EFL proficiency scales.

Publishers should contact me if they wish their series to be added or amended in some way.

Latest update Jan 5 2019.  I plan to do a major update every year or so.  Let me know if I missed something

Here is a PDF file of some of this dated Feb 2016

Teen and Adult series

 

                               Beg.   Elem     Int.     Upper Int.     Advanced  

 

Bridge    Near Native


Alphabet

Early Mid High Early Mid High Early Mid High Early Mid High Early Mid High Early Mid High  
 

Headword level

1-50 51-100 101-200 201-300 301-400 401-600 601-800 801-1000 1001-1250 1251-1500 1501-1800 1801-2100 2101-2400 2401-3000 3001-3600 3601-4500+ 4501-6000 6001-8000 8001-12000 12001-18000
Abax                   1200                      

AAS Press

Awesome Adventure Readers




  1  2  3

















Burlington Books ESO Readers         1 2   3   4                    
Burlington Books Bachillerato Readers                     1   2              
Cideb's Black Cats Early Reads   1 2 3 4 5                                
Cideb's Black Cats Easyreads       1 2                              
Cideb's Black Cats Green Apple         Starter   Step 1   Step 2                      
Cideb's Black Cats Reading and Training             Step 1   Step 2-B1.1   Step 3-B1.2   Step 4-B2.1 Step 5-B2.2 Step 6-C1          
Cideb's Black Cats Reading and Training Discovery             Step 1   Step 2-B1.1   Step 3-B1.2   Step 4-B2.1 Step 5-B2.2 Step 6-C1          
Cideb's Black Cats Reading and Training Professional             Step 1-A2   Step 2-B1.1   Step 3-B1.2                  
Cideb's Black Cats Reading Classics                             C1 C2        
Cideb's Black Cats Interact with literature                           B2 C1          
Cambridge University Press Cambridge English readers       Starters 1    2      3   4   5   6        
Cambridge University Press Discovery readers       Starter Beg./Elem   Elem/Low Int Low Int Int     Upper int                
Compass Publishing Classic readers           1 2 3 4 5 6                  
Collins ELT English Readers                         Readers              
Collins ELT Amazing People             1-A2 2- A2-B1 3- B1   4 - B2                  
Collins ELT Agathe Christie Readers             1-A2 2- A2-B1 3- B1   4 - B2                  
Egmont Easyreaders Teen readers         1   2   3   4                  
Egmont Easy Readers Read On         1   2                          
Egmont Easyreaders Easy Readers             A   B   C     D            
ELI Readers Classics                       B1/B2                
ELI Readers White             A1/A2                          
ELI Readers Ready to Read         Beg/ Elem                              
ELI Readers Teen beat             Elem   Lower Int.   Int.                  
ELI Readers Young Adult           1 2 3     4     5            
ELI Readers Young ELI Readers   1 2 3 4                              
Express Publishing readers Illustrated readers         1-A1   2-A     B1                    
Express Publishing readers ELT Graded readers             1-A2   2-B1                      
Express Publishing readers Classic readers             A2   B1   B2   C1              
Express Publishing readers ELT Showtime         A1   A2   B1                      
Foxton Readers




Starter
1
2

3

4
5
7








Garnet Education

Oracle readers

        Level 1   Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5                    
International Language Teaching Services (Heuber) Classic readers                        Classic readers                
International Language Teaching Services (Heuber) Robin readers          1 2 3 4   5     6              
Helbling Classics         1 2   3   4 5                  
Helbling Fiction Graphic Stories         1 2   3                        
Helbling Fiction Short reads         1 2   3                        
Helbling Fiction                   4 5                  
Helbling Young Readers     ?? ?? ??                              
Heinle Cengage Footprint Reading Library             800-A2 1000-A2   1300-B1 1600-B1 1900-B2 2200-B2 2600-C1 3000-C1            
Heinle Cengage Foundations Reading Library    4 5    6    7                              
Heinle Cengage Page Turners Reading Library     1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Level12            
Heinle Cengage Heinle Reading Library           A     B   C                  
Heinle Cengage Classic Comics                     B1 B2                
Heinle Cengage Collections           A       B   C                
Hueber Lekt�ren         1   2 3   level 4 5 6                  
Macmillan Macmillan readers       Starter-A1   Beg.-A1     Elem-A2  Pre-Int-A2/B1 Int-B1   Upper Int-B2              
Macmillan Language House
Read Smart Readers








1
2
3
4
5>







Marshall Cavendish (owned by Heinle Cengage) Summertown readers                      Pre-Int B1   Int B2     Adv C1          
Marshall Cavendish Fast Track Classics                   Pre-Int B1   Int B2                
MM Publications Primary readers        Levels 1, 2, 3, 4 5  6                              
MM Publications Top readers         A1   A2.1 A2.2   B1     B2              
MM Publications Classic stories         A1   A2.1     B1     B2              
MM Publications Original stories         A1   A2.1     B1                    
MPI   Building Blocks Library   1  2 3   4 5 6  7 8  9                          
Oxford University Press Bookworms Library       Starter 1   2 3   4 5     Stage 6-B2/C1            
Oxford University Press Dominoes       Starter 1   2 3                        
Oxford University Press Factfiles (in Bookworms Library)             4 5                  
Oxford University Press Graded readers (defunct?)           500 750                          
Oxford University Press Oxford Bookworms Collection                      
Series
               
Oxford University Press English Today readers                                        
Oxford University Press Oxford Bookworms Club                             C1 C2        
Oxford University Press Playscripts         1                            
Oxford University Press Progressive English readers               Starter   1   2     3 Grade 4    Grade 5        
Oxford University Press Storylines                                        
Penguin readers Penguin readers     Easystarts 1   2     3   4   5 6            
Penguin readers Penguin Active reading     Easystarts 1   2     3   4                  
R.I.C Publications Fast Fiction           Fast fiction                            
R.I.C Publications ELT Readers (Scholastic titles) see below                                        
R.I.C Publications           Elem     Pre-int                        
Richmond readers Readers      Young Starter   Starter  1 2    3   4   Adv.                
Richmond readers Media readers                                        
Richmond readers World facts                                        
Scholastic ELT ELT readers (Mary Glasgow)       Starters   1   2    3                    
Seed Learning
World History Readers






1
2
3
4

5

6






Usborne
Usborne English Readers




















Witman readers                                          
World Wide readers               1   2     3                
Yohan (Now IBC) Ladders               1 2   3 4   5            

 

The following series below are not rated in the same way as above except that they do roughly correspond, so I put them in anyway. Note that these lists below are far less complete and accurate than the ones above.

EFL / ESL Children's Series

 

Alphabet

Early Mid High Early Mid High Early Mid High Early Mid High Early Mid High
 
1-50 51-100 101-200 201-300 301-400 401-600 601-800 801-1000 1001-1250 1251-1500 1501-1800 1801-2100 2101-2400 2401-3000 3001-3600 3601-4500+
 
                               
Cambridge University Press Cambridge Storybooks                                
Black Cats Earlyread   1  2  3 4  5                         
Compass Publishing Sunshine readers     1 2 3 4  5                    
Compass Publishing Young Learners Classic readers





1    2

3    4

5

6




Compass Publishing Compass Classic readers









1

2

3    4
5
6
Dorling Kindersley ELT Graded readers                                
Express Publishing readers Early ELT Primary readers         A1                      
Express Publishing readers Storytime         A1                      
Express Publishing readers ELT favorite Classic readers                                
ESL Reading.org
    Beg.     Elem   Pre-Int   Int.            
Heinle Cengage Surprise Junior readers     PreA1 A1                        
Heinle Cengage Primary Classics     1 2 3                      
Heinle Cengage Theatrical readers     PreA1 A1                        
Innova press books
Phonics
















Longman Literacy Literacy Land                                
Longman Literacy Storystreet                                
MM Publishers Primary readers                                
Oxford University Press Classic tales   Beg. 1 Beg. 2 Elem 1 Elem 2 Elem 3                      
Oxford University Press Content Area readers                                
Oxford University Press Dolphin readers Starter Level 1 2 3 4                      
Oxford University Press Kid's readers                                
Oxford University Press Storyland readers                                
Oxford University Press Start Reading                                
Oxford University Press Start With English readers                                
Oxford University Press Up and Away readers                                
Oxford Story Tree / Reading Tree Reading Tree                                
Penguin readers Young readers       1 2  3 4                  
Macmillan Macmillan Children's Readers     1 2 3   4       5, 6          
Macmillan English Explorers                                
Mira publishers Mireaders     Easy Starts Beg. Pre-Elem Elem   Pre-Int                
Nelson Focus readers                                  
R.I.C Publications Story Chest                                
Richmond readers Planet readers                                
Seed learning
Kids Classic readers


1  2
3  4
5    6











Teacher Created Materials  (L1 materials)
Phonics
















Other series

 
                               
Junior African writers                                  
Shonan Jump (manga in English)
                               
Childbook (English books with a Chinese flavor)
                               
Jamestown
                               

Languages other than English (NB This is how they are advertised and does not necessarily mean they are for reading fluency. Caveat emptor.

Chinese Graded readers (Mandarin Companion)

Level 1 300 Characters Level 2 450 Characters                            
Chinese graded readers                                  
Chinese graded readers                                  
French Graded readers                                  
French Graded readers
                               
French  German Spanish Italian  Graded readers
                               
French readers
                               
French readers
                               
French Readers by ELI

















Japanese Graded readers
                               
Japanese Graded readers
                               
Japanese graded readers
                               
Italian Readers by ELI

















German readers
                               
Cornelsen readers (German)
                               
German readers
                               
German readers
                               
German readers by ELI

















Italian Readers
                               
Russian Readers
                               
Russian readers (1961) - available here
                               
Spanish readers
                               
Spanish readers
                               
Spanish readers
                               
Spanish readers
                               
Spanish readers
                               
Spanish Readers

















Spanish Readers by ELI

















Thanks to Tom Robb for many of the non-English ones.