A Guide to Book Bands

Welcome to our guide to book bands! This article provides a comprehensive overview of book bands, which are a system used to facilitate and assess children's reading progress. In addition to explaining what book bands are and why they are used by schools, this guide offers practical advice for teachers on how to use book bands to support their students’ reading development. Ready to build a fantastic book band library? Explore our collections of banded books today!

What are Book Bands?

Book bands originated from the Institute of Education’s publication Book Bands for Guided Reading (Bickler et al, 1998), building on the proven success of the Reading Recovery initiative.  They were introduced to ensure children had access to a wide variety of texts, maintaining engagement and encouraging literacy development through diverse reading experiences. The book band system helps schools align books with National Curriculum levels while applying consistent criteria across various publishers’ reading schemes. The banded levels gradually introduce children to progressively challenging texts, promoting the journey of fluency while giving the reader an engaging choice of books that they can read.

Today, book bands are the most common system used by schools and educational publishers to match books to children’s reading ability. Although originally intended for KS1 pupils, the system has been extended to assess and monitor progression throughout primary education, up to super-confident readers in year 6.

Publishers and educational book suppliers work with literacy consultants to level in a best-fit way, both reading scheme books (which are specifically designed to support reading development) and ‘real’ books (the kind of children’s books found in bookshops). As ‘real’ books will have more naturalistic language, this levelling process is a craft rather than an exact science. However, consultants and reading experts with years of levelling experience work to align the bands with commonly established attributes for each level, based on the Institute of Education’s publication Book Bands for Guided Reading.

Badger Learning offer both Banded Reading Scheme collections and Banded Reading Boxes of ‘real’ books to widen children’s reading experiences and promote reading for pleasure.

The colour bands begin at Lilac (reception aged children sharing wordless books) and go up to Black+ (for super-confident Year 6 readers).  While most publishers and educational suppliers use a standardised colour palette matched to banded reading levels, there may be some variations. 

Why use Book Bands?

Banded books provide children with a clear and structured progression in reading. Teachers can make informed book-buying decisions based on the individual needs and interests of their pupils, while also monitoring their progress. The graduated levels provide both variety and breadth, enabling children to develop their reading skills while choosing books that engage and appeal to them.

The philosophy behind book bands has remained consistent: it allows children to read a mix of reading scheme books and real books from various publishers while being appropriately challenged. The system promotes independent reading, where children can choose freely within a structured range, enhancing their enjoyment and sense of achievement.

KS2 book bands are now widely used in schools as a progressive framework for assessing reading skills and tracking progress. Secondary schools may also use book bands to monitor and guide students who need additional reading support.

What are the Book Band colours?

The table below shows each book band level, phase and the equivalent reading age. Most children progress through the levels throughout the year. For example, a reception child working at an expected level may finish the year on Yellow.

Browse banded collections of ‘real’ books and filter by colour band here
Browse banded reading scheme books and filter by publisher or colour band here

Book Band Emerging Expected

Confident
Exceeding

Super Confident
Exceeding

Lilac (Level 0) Reception      
Pink (Level 1)   Reception    
Red (Level 2) Year 1 Reception    
Yellow (Level 3) Year 1 Reception    
Blue (Level 4)   Year 1 Reception  
Green (Level 5) Year 2 Year 1 Reception  
Orange (Level 6) Year 2 Year 1    
Turquoise (Level 7)   Year 2 Year 1  
Purple (Level 8)   Year 2 Year 1  
Gold (Level 9)   Year 2 Year 1  
White (Level 10) Year 3 Year 2 Year 2  
Lime (Level 11) Year 3, Year 4   Year 2  
Brown (Level 12) Year 4, Year 5 Year 3 Year 2  
Grey (Level 13) Year 5, Year 6 Year 4 Year 3 Year 2
Dark Blue (Level 14) Year 6 Year 5 Year 4 Year 3
Dark Red (Level 15)   Year 6 Year 5 Year 4
Black (Level 16)     Year 6 Year 5
Black Plus (Level 17)       Year 6

 

Are Book Band colours always the same?

While book band colours from Lilac to White generally follow the standardised system outlined in the Institute of Education’s publication Book Bands for Guided Reading (Bickler et al, 1998), the colour bands for KS2 are not always consistent. This is because no universal system exists for levelling books by colour beyond year 2. Although banded levels for years 3 to 6 have been established and widely used for many years, different reading schemes and publishers may develop their own versions of colour-coded levels to group books based by difficulty. These systems can vary in how they assess reading complexity, meaning that the same banded level in one system might not match the same colour or reading level in another. 

You can find books for a specific book band colour in our Book Band Collections and Reading Scheme Collections by selecting the appropriate colour level within the filters.

Inconsistencies in reading schemes can be tricky to get your head around! Below are a few examples explained in more detail. Several widely used reading schemes, such as Oxford Reading Tree, Collins Big Cat, and Pearson’s Bug Club, have their own interpretations of what constitutes a certain level of reading difficulty, and their colours do not always align. The tables below illustrate these differences:

How do Collins Big Cat Levels relate to Book Bands?

Collins Book Band Levels

Browse Collins Big Cat collections. 

Why are Big Cat Progress books dual-banded?

Big Cat Progress books are dual-banded, meaning they are specifically designed to cater to children at key stage 2 who have a reading level aligned with key stage 1. This dual-banding approach ensures that the books are age-appropriate in terms of content and interest while being accessible for children reading below age-related expectations.

Each of the 70 dual-banded books targets both an interest level suitable for children in years 3 to 6 and a lower reading ability level. This means that even if a child is struggling with reading, they can engage with material that feels relevant and engaging for their age group. The books are carefully levelled by reading expert Cliff Moon to guarantee systematic, measurable progression. Interest levels are banded using Big Cat colours for KS2, from Copper to Diamond.

Big Cat Progress levels and book bands

Browse Collins Big Cat Progress collections. 

How do Oxford Levels compare to Book Bands?

Owford levels and book bands

Browse Mixed Oxford Schemes, Lilac to Dark Red. 

Do Pearson’s Bug Club Levels differ from Book Bands?

Pearson levels and book bands

Browse Bug Club Phonics and Bug Club Independent

Variations in colour band usage can also arise from publishers developing their own levelling systems, which may not follow a shared framework. Some systems target specific age groups with varying focuses (such as decoding, comprehension, or fluency), and individual schools or teachers may adapt or combine different systems to meet their students' needs.

This can be confusing for both parents and educators, so it’s important that schools fully understand the specific system they are using and provide clear guidance for parents.

Find the exact books you’re looking for by filtering by individual book band colours, key stage, or year group: Book Band Collections / Reading Scheme Collections 

How do you use Book Bands?

Ongoing reading assessments are used to establish which level children are reading at and whether they need to move up to the next level to maintain the right degree of challenge. Children progress through the banded colours as they gain confidence and show understanding. Because of the breadth of choice available in each colour band, they should be able to find books that appeal to them at each level. This encourages children to ‘read for pleasure’ even at an early stage in their reading journey.

Banded books are also perfect for sending home to share. See the Department for Education’s Reading Framework Appendix 1 for advice on a leaflet schools could create for parents. Save time by downloading our FREE resources to promote a reading for pleasure culture in your school community: 

How can Book Banded collections support pupils still learning to read?

Pupils still learning to read should be given decodable books that align with the progression of the school’s SSP programme and are consistent with their developing phonic knowledge. Our Pink to Orange Mixed Reading Scheme collections are fully decodable, making them ideal for children to practise and consolidate learning at the end of each phase.  In many schools, fully decodable phonics schemes are used in these early stages of reading, with children transitioning to banded books in Year 2.

Book Band Collections of ‘real’ books for EYFS and KS1 are ideal for libraries, classroom sharing, or sending home, as they provide diverse, engaging reading materials that foster a love of reading. These collections ensure children can enjoy interesting stories with rich language as they master phonics.

How can Banded Books support students' reading progression post-phonics?

By the time pupils reach the final decodable books in a phonics programme, they will already have the skills to access a wide variety of other books. To build their confidence and fluency, it is crucial that they read widely and frequently. At this stage, guiding pupils in selecting appropriate books becomes more complex than when their reading choices were based solely on the GPCs they had mastered. This is where Book Band Collections for KS2 provide a valuable solution, offering a structured yet flexible framework that helps teachers recommend books at the right level, ensuring pupils continue to be challenged while enjoying a diverse range of high-quality engaging reading material.

“If schools organise books into book band levels, teachers should select which of these books they think their pupils will enjoy and be able to read successfully, and introduce these to specific groups of pupils in book club time.” The Reading Framework (DfE, July 2023).

Ensuring your banded library is filled with enticing reads and recommending books that teachers believe their pupils will enjoy and be able to read successfully is the key to unlocking reading for pleasure and inspiring students to read widely and often. 

Can Book Bands help schools stretch their budget?

Yes, book bands can certainly help schools make the most of their budgets. By adopting a book band system, schools can utilise both existing resources and new purchases in a cohesive way. Classroom books can be quickly updated, and damages replaced without starting from scratch, as the banded system ensures that all books, whether old or new, fit seamlessly alongside existing resources. Many school suppliers are continuously banding newly published books from a wide range of authors and publishers making it easier than ever for schools to band their existing library stock and integrate new  Banded ‘Real’ books.

How can you band your existing library stock?

If you're looking to organise or update your library’s book collection, we can help! You can easily scan your existing library stock using a simple app or an affordable device. Once scanned, send us a CSV file or Excel document with the details of your books. We will then match your stock with our records, band all the books we have data for, and provide you with a list of banded books. Additionally, we will identify any gaps in your provision and recommend packs to fill those gaps. This process ensures that your library is up-to-date and fully aligned with the book band system, helping you optimise your resources effectively and ensure that your books meet the needs and interests of your pupils. Contact Us for more information and to get started!

Badger Learning also offers stickers and coloured boxes to help organise both new and existing book stock, enabling staff and students to store, locate and manage books in a clear, fast, and efficient way.

How do Badger Learning band books for Key Stage 2?

 

 

Less Able

Expected

Able/Confident

Brown

Year 4, 5, 6

Year 3

Year 2

Grey

Year 5, 6

Year 4

Year 3

Dark Blue

Year 6

Year 5

Year 4

Dark Red

 

Year 6

Year 5

Black

 

 

Year 6

 

At Badger Learning, our collections team reads and evaluates every book we select. We take into account many factors when banding books, such as vocabulary, narrative complexity, and themes, ensuring each book fits the right reading level. For confident readers, we carefully screen books to match both their reading age and emotional maturity. Our team have a strong understanding of how children develop as readers and have an unparalleled knowledge of children’s publishing to draw upon. When we work on levelling books we are constantly reading, comparing and contrasting ‘real’ books with scheme books and discussing this with each other to ensure that they represent a true progression in reading.  We consider which features we feel push a book up or down in a band: perhaps the vocabulary is representative of Dark Blue but the narrative is complex enough to make a book really only accessible to the most confident readers in Year 5 reading at Dark Red?  We take into account many factors depending upon the text; perhaps the reader would be required to have unexpected knowledge or insight to fully access the language or the narrative; and themes, like time travel, or devices, like parallel narratives, can render a book inaccessible to all but the most fluent reader; perhaps the text level is just right but the story unlikely to engage readers reading at this level. With each book we are asking, would a child reading at that level be able to access this text and what would challenge them? The answers to these questions are unique to each book.

For confident and super-confident readers it is important that books are matched appropriately to their emotional maturity. For this reason, Badger Learning collate specific book collections for Confident and Fluent Readers where extra emphasis is put on the content being absolutely spot on and not inappropriate for their chronological age even though the reading age is higher. When choosing titles for children reading at greater depth, we are looking for contemporary and classic books that are really special, those captivating reads that absolutely offer the intrinsic rewards that will create lifelong book lovers.

 

What books are suitable for struggling readers in KS2?

Badger Learning offers a wide range Hi-Lo books for struggling readers (high interest, low reading level), many of which have been book banded. These collections are designed to engage readers by matching their interest age with appropriate reading levels and include dyslexia friendly features that support struggling readers such as easy-to-read fonts, larger and more widely spaced text and shorter, very engaging stories that build reading stamina progressively. Many are also available in eBook PDF formats, which are more aligned with technology and gaming and may appeal more to some readers, including older primary-aged pupils, for whom these kinds of reading resources can be hard to source.

 

Can Book Bands help identify books for super-confident and very able readers?

Black and Black Plus levels are for truly confident and very able readers in Year 6, (or super-confident Year 5 readers), and although they may only be suitable for a very select group of readers, these children require stimulating books that stretch and challenge them and keep them wanting to read at this critical time.  An important part of our role, which is only possible because we read every book within our collections, is to ensure these books are carefully selected to challenge advanced readers without containing inappropriate content for primary-aged children. Children reading at greater depth can be left with a poor choice of dusty classics that may not appeal to their interests and sees them returning to old favourites from younger years. Our collections for very able readers offer a wealth of classic and contemporary literature to choose from a rich variety of captivating and rewarding books for your pupils to lose themselves in.

Book Band storage

Badger Learning offers a range of coloured storage boxes and stickers ideal for organising your school library, or classroom book selections.