Your kid's school sent home a Lexile score, an AR/ATOS number, or a Fountas & Pinnell letter — and probably didn't explain any of it. They're three different scales, made by three different companies, and none of them are a ceiling. This is the one-page translation, grade by grade.
Lexile · AR/ATOS · F&P
Every range below is a typical grade band from the systems' own published charts — see the full source list on the printable and in our research notes. Kids read at a spread of levels in every classroom; these are guides, not verdicts.
| Grade | Lexile® | AR / ATOS® | Fountas & Pinnell |
|---|---|---|---|
| K | BR40L–230L | 0.1–0.9 | A–D |
| 1st | 190L–530L | 1.0–1.9 | E–J |
| 2nd | 420L–650L | 2.0–2.9 | K–M |
| 3rd | 520L–820L | 3.0–3.9 | N–P |
| 4th | 740L–940L | 4.0–4.9 | Q–S |
| 5th | 830L–1010L | 5.0–5.9 | T–V |
| 6th | 925L–1070L | 6.0–6.9 | W–Y |
| 7th | 970L–1120L | 7.0–7.9 | Z |
| 8th | 1010L–1185L | 8.0–8.9 | Z |
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Beginning Reader — below 0L. Lower number after BR = more advanced (BR100L is easier than BR30L — it runs backwards).
Graphic Novel — comic-format books. Often reads easier than the number implies.
Adult Directed — meant to be read aloud to a child, not solo.
Non-Conforming — advanced reading level, but age-appropriate content, for strong young readers.
High-Low — high interest, lower reading level, for older reluctant readers.
Illustrated Guide — nonfiction reference material.
Non-Prose — poems, plays, songs; no single Lexile number assigned.
AR and ATOS book levels are just grade + month, written as a decimal. The whole number is the grade. The decimal is the month of the school year (1–9).
These scores exist to stop a kid from being handed something so hard it kills their confidence. They were never meant to cap what a kid is allowed to read for fun. Dog Man is written at a low reading level on purpose — and it's read by kids five grades above and below its "target" because it's good. If your kid is reading up, that's the win condition, not a red flag.
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