Vocabulary Levels
Vocabulary Challenge
Example of books
Example of vocabulary
Vocabulary Level 1
♦♦ An Alien Ate Me for Breakfast
soppy, humming, baking
Child has a secure
foundation in phonics and
is ready to move onto
simple non-phonic reading
books.
♦♦ Wartman
Vocabulary Level 2
♦♦ The BFG
Child is developing a
range of descriptive
vocabulary with some
technical vocabulary.
♦♦ Charlotte’s Web
Vocabulary Level 3
♦♦ The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Child is strengthening
their range of descriptive
vocabulary whilst
grappling with more
technical vocabulary.
♦♦ The Butterfly Lion
Vocabulary Level 4
♦♦ Kensuke’s Kingdom
mellifluous, gibbered,
cacophony, canopy,
summit, buoyancy
Vocabulary Level 5
♦♦ Journey to the River Sea
Child is able to read most
vocabulary in a fiction text
for young adults – there
are probably a couple of
new words per page.
♦♦ The Eagle of the Ninth
gallivanting, sentimental,
mottled, rakish,
marauding, brakish,
descendants, fjord,
quayside, iridescent,
masticating, metronome,
thane, auxiliary
♦♦ The Diary of a Killer Cat
Child is exposed to a
range of interesting and
ambitious vocabulary
including more technical
and historical vocabulary.
whisked, hesitated,
glistening, trumpet
whimpering, gibbered,
lurking, alliance, remote,
yearned, plaintive
Book Length
Length
Example of books
Book length
Book Length 1
♦♦ The Diary of a Killer Cat
Between 0 and 7 chapters with
3 to 10 pages per chapter.
Average text size 14.
♦♦ Young Dracula
Between 7 and 12 chapters
with 5 to 15 pages per chapter.
Average text size 12.
♦♦ War Horse
Between 10 and 16 chapters
with 10 to 20 pages per chapter.
Average text size 12.
♦♦ The Little White Horse
Between 12 and 20 chapters
with 12 to 22 pages per chapter.
Average text size 10.
♦♦ The Eagle of the Ninth
Over 20 chapters of various
lengths with average text size 10
or smaller.
Child is ready to start reading
simple chapter books –
they might need to be
encouraged with illustrations,
large text and short chapters.
Book Length 2
Child is able to read chapter
books but doesn’t want to
be overwhelmed with a big
read.
Book Length 3
Child is confidently reading
chapter books but wants a
book that won’t take too long
to finish.
Book Length 4
Child is confidently reading
chapter books.
Book Length 5
Child is confidently reading
chapter books and able to
sustain and follow a story of
considerable length without
losing pace.