Reading Chest - Learning through your letterbox! (2024)

Oxford Reading Tree levels and book bands

Oxford Reading Tree books have always used their own levels, but also use book bands that correspond to their levels.

Oxford Reading Tree levels correspond to the following book band colours:

Book bands in school

The book band system is designed to help schools grade their reading books. Most reading scheme books for children aged 4 to 8 years have been given a book band colour by the publisher based on the level of reading difficulty. These colours (also used by Reading Chest) usually correspond to those in your child’s school.

Ideally this means that a 'pink' book in the Collins Big Cat scheme is at the same reading level as a ‘pink’ book in the Project X scheme.

Reading age & book bands

As you will see from the chart above there are general guidelines about which book bands should be covered at each age group. Please remember that children learn in different ways and make progress at different times. It is possible that there may be seven year olds on book band red and five year olds on book band turquoise.

As a rough guide, children are expected to reach the highest level (lime) at seven or eight years old. Children who read above lime level are reading fairly fluently and although some books are still graded above this level, children are reading such a wide range of material that the banding becomes not so important.

Reading Chest offers books up to book band lime and also beyond (extended readers) so that we can cater for those young readers who might be called ‘free readers’ at school.

How do I know my child’s book band?

Book bands are usually shown on the back or spine of the book. If you don’t already know your child’s book band colour, please refer to the chart above. Have a look at the sample pages, or take advice from your child’s school.

It is important that children read books at the correct level. For more information on this have a look at our Tips on choosing books page.