Reading Level Converter
Pick a leveling system, choose a value, and see approximate equivalents in the others: grade level, Fountas & Pinnell guided reading level (A–Z), Lexile range, DRA2 level, and Reading Recovery level. It is handy when a leveled library is labeled one way, a student's assessment report uses another, and a parent asks what it all means. Keep in mind that these systems measure different things, so there is no official one-to-one mapping — treat every result as an approximate starting point, not a verdict. If you want to check how hard a particular passage is, use the Reading Level Calculator, which analyzes the text itself. This tool instead translates between leveling systems, and the Reading Log Generator is a good companion once you know where to point a reader.
Convert a Level
Reading Level Equivalence Chart
This is the full chart the converter uses. Rows matching your last conversion are highlighted. Scroll sideways on a phone. A dagger (†) marks a DRA2 or Reading Recovery value that is blank in the Fountas & Pinnell chart and was filled in from a school-district chart instead; those are less authoritative.
| F&P Level | Grade | Lexile (approx.) | DRA2 | Reading Recovery |
|---|
Sources
- Grade level, F&P level, Reading Recovery, and DRA: Fountas & Pinnell, "Instructional Grade-Level Equivalence Chart" (from the Benchmark Assessment System and Leveled Literacy Intervention guides), as hosted by Heinemann: heinemann.com chart PDF. See also the F&P resource library entry.
- Lexile column, and DRA2 / Reading Recovery values marked †: Granite School District, "Conversion Chart for Leveled Libraries": granitemedia.org chart PDF.
- Lexile column cross-checked against two other published crosswalks: the Model Teaching "Reading Level Conversion Chart" (2017) and the ReadTheory "Lexile to F&P Conversion Guide" (2020).
Important: the Fountas & Pinnell chart does not include Lexile, so the Lexile column comes from third-party crosswalks. We compared three of them level by level. The two older ones match closely, and the third runs slightly lower in the middle levels, but all three stay within roughly one level (about 50L) of each other. The ranges shown here follow the first two. Lexile ranges also overlap between grades, so use the column only for rough orientation. Where sources disagree on DRA2 (for example, level D or S), this tool shows the Fountas & Pinnell value.
Don't confuse these with Lexile grade bands. You may also see ranges like 420L–650L for grade 2 (for example, in the Scholastic Guided Reading Leveling Resource Chart). Those are Common Core text-complexity targets for how challenging classroom texts should be. They are not conversions from a guided reading level, which is why they are higher than the per-level figures above.
How to Use the Reading Level Converter
- Choose the system you already have a number for in the "I know the..." menu.
- Select or type the value — a letter for F&P, a grade, a Lexile measure, a DRA2 level, or a Reading Recovery level.
- Read the equivalents in the result cards. Ranges appear when one level lines up with several levels in another system.
- If you enter a number that sits between published rows, the tool shows the nearest row and says so.
- Use the chart below the converter to see the whole progression at a glance.
Tips for Using Level Conversions
Use ranges, not single numbers
Because the systems are built differently, a level in one system usually corresponds to a band in another. Searching a library by the whole band is more reliable than hunting for a single exact number.
Match the book to the purpose
A leveled score describes a student's reading performance or a text's difficulty, not what a child should read for pleasure. Interest, background knowledge, and support all matter, so let readers stretch up or choose easy favorites.
Explain results to families
When a parent has a Lexile number from a state test and a letter from the classroom, the conversion helps you start a conversation. Be clear that the two come from different measurements.
Pair it with a reading log
Once you know a reader's approximate band, set up home reading with the Reading Log Generator, and check unfamiliar passages with the Reading Level Calculator.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there an official conversion between Lexile and guided reading levels?
No. The Fountas & Pinnell equivalence chart covers grade level, guided reading level, Reading Recovery, and DRA, but it does not include Lexile. Lexile figures in charts like this one come from third-party crosswalks, and they differ from source to source.
Why do the results show ranges?
The systems measure different things — a guided reading level reflects a student's performance with a leveled text, while a Lexile measure is a computed text-complexity score — so one level in one system rarely lines up with exactly one level in another.
Does grade level mean the level a student should be reading?
The grade column shows where a level is typically placed in the Fountas & Pinnell grade-level equivalence chart. It is a rough placement and is not a measure of whether an individual student is on track.
How is this different from the Reading Level Calculator?
The Reading Level Calculator analyzes a passage you paste in and estimates its readability. This tool does not look at any text; it translates a level you already have from one leveling system to the others.
Why are some DRA2 or Reading Recovery cells marked with a dagger?
The Fountas & Pinnell chart leaves those cells blank. The marked values come from a school-district chart and are shown so that the table is complete, but they are less authoritative.
Is any of my information uploaded?
No. The conversion runs entirely in your browser and nothing you enter is sent anywhere.
