On the Fountas & Pinnell scale, kindergartners typically read levels A–D, first graders read levels E–J, and second graders read levels K–M, with L and M extending into early third grade. The chart below matches every level from A to M to its typical grade — and to what readers are actually doing at that level.
What is the Fountas & Pinnell scale?
The Fountas & Pinnell Text Level Gradient is a third-party leveling system developed by Irene Fountas and Gay Su Pinnell that orders books from A (easiest) to Z by text difficulty: print volume, sentence complexity, picture support, vocabulary, and story length all factor in. It is the scale most U.S. elementary schools use to organize classroom libraries and small-group reading.
MaryRuth Books labels every title on the same A-to-M span, so our books shelve directly into an existing leveled library. For the beginning-reader span this chart covers, you can also see each level in the flesh: every MaryRuth Books title can be read cover to cover for free. MaryRuth Books is not affiliated with Fountas & Pinnell.
Fountas & Pinnell level to grade correlation chart
Reviewed and updated August 2026.
| F&P level | Typical grade | What readers are doing | Books at this level |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Pre-K–K | Matching one spoken word to one printed word on a single patterned line | Level A books |
| B | K | Sweeping back to a second line of print; first sight words | Level B books |
| C | K–early 1st | Handling varied patterns and first dialogue without finger-pointing | Level C books |
| D | Late K–early 1st | Tracking print by eye; reading word endings like -s and -ing | Level D books |
| E | Early 1st | Solving longer words part by part; less picture dependence | Level E books |
| F | 1st | Reading in phrases; following a full beginning-middle-end story | Level F books |
| G | Mid 1st | Self-correcting; handling contractions and richer vocabulary | Level G books |
| H | Late 1st | Reading longer stories with expression and literary language | Level H books |
| I | Late 1st–early 2nd | Taking apart multisyllable words; sustaining longer texts | Level I books |
| J | 2nd | Starting early chapter books; beginning to read silently | Level J books |
| K | 2nd | Reading chapter books silently over more than one sitting | Level K books |
| L | Late 2nd–early 3rd | Inferring character motives; handling figurative language | — |
| M | 3rd | Reading independently across genres with fuller plots | Level M books |
For the fuller story of what each level looks like inside the books, see reading levels A–M, explained.
What are the end-of-year level goals?
Districts commonly set end-of-year benchmarks close to these:
| Grade | Common end-of-year goal |
|---|---|
| Kindergarten | Level D |
| First grade | Level J |
| Second grade | Level M |
Treat these as planning guides, not verdicts. Benchmarks vary by district, assessment windows differ, and the difference between a level I and a level J reader in May is a matter of weeks of practice, not a category of child.
How should I use this chart?
- Use ranges, not cutoffs. A typical classroom spans a full year of levels in either direction. The chart tells you what is common, not what is required.
- Match practice books to the reader, not the grade. A second grader reading at level F needs great level F books, not grade-labeled ones. Each level in the chart links to titles that fit.
- Verify with the book, not the label. Leveling systems involve judgment, and publishers differ at the margins. Listen to the child read a page — our free running record forms turn that into a two-minute routine — or preview the exact book first.
- Level your shelves once. Printable book-level labels make a classroom library self-serve for young readers.
For tutoring and one-to-one support, MaryRuth Books also organizes the same titles into finer-grained intervention levels 1–20, and every product page's Details table lists the book's DRA level alongside its reading level.
FAQ: Quick answers about level-to-grade correlation
What Fountas & Pinnell level should a kindergartner be reading?
Levels A–D are the typical kindergarten span, and many districts use level D as the end-of-year goal. Early in the year, level A is exactly where a brand-new reader belongs.
Is my child behind if they are reading below the range for their grade?
Not by itself — the ranges are wide and children enter them at different times. What matters is steady movement with books at the right level of challenge. If you are concerned, ask the teacher for the child's current instructional level and practice daily with books matched to it.
Do MaryRuth Books titles show their Fountas & Pinnell level?
Every product page states the book's reading level on the A–M span (plus its DRA level and intervention level in the Details table), and you can read any title in full to judge the fit before buying.
What happens after level M?
Level M readers are ready for longer chapter books and independent genre reading. Within MaryRuth Books, confident readers move into Danny's chapter books; beyond that, the wider A–Z gradient continues through middle-grade texts.
About MaryRuth Books — MaryRuth Books is an independent publisher of leveled readers for beginning and early readers, founded in 2001 and built on the leveling work of author Mia Coulton, who has written and photographed the Danny books from the beginning. Schools and districts can request a quote for classroom and intervention sets.
