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Reading Levels

For reference, the grade level of the stories and non-fiction texts in the program are listed below. The level determined for each story or passage is based on several criteria open to the rater’s interpretation and may change as additional measures of reading level are developed. Teachers are encouraged to adjust level designations in accordance with their own or their site’s determinations.

Headsprout Early Reading Level Correlations PDF

Headsprout Reading Comprehension Level Correlations PDF

Headsprout Advanced Reading Comprehension Level CorrelationsPDF

Headsprout Early Reading

Episode Title Learning A-Z Level Grade Level Fountas & Pinnell Total Words
5 See! K A 11
6 The Van K A 19
7 The Can K A 23
8 Vee Can See K A 26
9 Fran Feels K A 20
10 Can Fran See? - Benchmark Story K A 27
11 Fran and Lee K A 34
12 I See Fran and Lee K A 36
13 Vee and the Can K A 33
14 Lee Sleeps K A 32
15 See the Sand K B 42
16 Clee Can Plan K B 37
17 Can Pip Sleep? K B 36
18 Feel the Sand! K B 29
19 Clee and Pip Can See K B 39
20 The Peel and the Fan - Benchmark Story K B 31
21 Fran and the Sand K B 37
22 The Fish and the Reef K B 39
23 Clee and Pip K B 39
24 The Fish Flips 1st C 48
25 Pip and Clee 1st C 40
26 The Fan K B 18
27 Sand 1st C 44
28 Clee and Pip and Lee Can See K B 17
29 Hands and Wings K B 32
30 Fling and Scout - Benchmark Story 1st C 41
31 Scout and the Tree 1st C 49
32 Fran and Lee and Pip and Clee 1st D 63
33 Fling and the Ant 1st D 59
34 Vee Is Sleeping 1st D 69
35 The Ant and the Plant 1st D 71
36 I Would, I Should, I Could, I Can 1st D 109
37 Hands and Feet 1st D 61
38 Trish and Fling Vanish 1st D 67
39 Sweeping Sand 1st E 102
40 San Sold the Old Van 1st D 83
Snipping the Strings - Benchmark Story 1st D 76
Can Trish See Cancan? 1st D 101
41 Trish Feels Cold 1st E 89
42 Sing! 1st C 48
43 Lee Is Creeping 1st D 72
44 Swish and the Can 1st E 114
45 Swish, Trish, and the Ring 1st E 97
46 Pip and the Plants 1st E 90
47 Blake and the Cake 1st D 46
48 Blake Takes a Hike 1st E 107
49 The Tools and the Van 1st E 106
50 Cooking - Benchmark Story 1st D 66
51 Fran Looks for Her Book 1st E 98
52 In the Lake 1st E 78
53 The Long Song 1st F 146
54 Two Lakes, One Moon 1st F 114
55 Playing in the Sand 1st E 89
56 Numbers in the Sand 1st F 169
57 More Pancakes 1st G 158
58 Blake Needs a Hat 1st F 110
59 Mike and Dipper Have Colds 1st E 77
60 Fling Hides the Plate - Benchmark Story 1st F 103
61 Jingles Can Do It 1st F 69
62 Mike Has Supper 1st F 67
63 Where Is Strummer? 1st F 109
64 Open and Shut 1st H 227
65 Spike Feels Better 1st F 99
Jingles Wants a Ride 1st I 188
66 Who Will Play in the Band? 1st G 112
67 Where Does Strummer Live? 1st I 256
68 First One on the Bus 1st F 110
The Cookie Jar 1st I 292
69 Sprout Asks Why 1st G 70
70 If You Tell a Crow to Go - Benchmark Story 1st H 190
71 How Tall, How High 1st G 131
72 From San to Vee 1st G 100
At the Park 2nd J 415
73 What Color Will I Be? 1st I 296
74 Each One Is Yellow 1st G 104
75 Mars, the Fourth Planet 1st H 147
76 Quick Quack, the Duck 1st H 188
77 In Line at Zog’s 1st H 114
Quick Quack Sees His Friends 2nd K 679
78 Sprout Grows a Flower 1st I 174
79 “I Wonder,” Said Worm 1st I 216
Can a Worm Take a Taxi? 2nd J 269
Things in the Sky 2nd K 524
Bernadette Looks for Treasure 2nd K 778
80 Look What People Are Saying! 2nd J 250
Mike and His Hats 2nd K 201
Jill’s Story - Benchmark Story 2nd L 391
Zog Makes a Something Stew 2nd L 278
Spike Makes a Discovery 1st H 200
What Lives in the Sea? 2nd L 829
81 Blake Gets Clean 1st H 200
82 Communities 1st I 200
83 Blake and Cancan Have Breakfast 1st I 218
84 An Overnight Float Trip 1st J 250
85 Fling Wants a Picture 1st I 248
86 The Wonders of Jungle Plants 2nd K 242
87 Treasure in the Soil 1st J 308
88 Let's Find a Resolution! 2nd J 299
89 Duck Helps Mama Hippo 1st J 311
90 Changing Things on Earth 2nd J 334
91 Enjoying a Party 2nd J 331
92 Climates Around the World 2nd J 334
93 Swish and Scout Follow Clue 1st I 359
94 What to Carry on a Ship 2nd J 379
95 Many Friends Help the Turtles 1st I 354
96 Writing Letters 1st J 387
97 Fling and Blake at the Stream 1st I 394
98 Sparkle and Dazzle 2nd K 392
99 The Perfect Picnic 2nd K 467
100 Nature's Hidden Treasures 2nd M 399


Headsprout Reading Comprehension

Episodes Title Total Words Grade Level & Genre
1-10 Multiple short passages (fiction and Nonfiction) Varies 2.6–2.9
Life in a Beehive (Benchmark Passage) 242 2.6–2.9
Nonfiction (life science)
11-14 The Great Uncertain Shape 1,272 2.6–2.9
Fiction, multi-chapter
15 Helen Keller 228 2.6–2.9
Nonfiction (biography)
17-22 The Hunt for the Ancient Scrolls 1,762 3.0–3.2
Fiction, multi-chapter
The Atacama Desert: High, Dry, and Empty (Benchmark Passage) 334 3.0–3.2
Nonfiction (geography)
23 The Many Colors of Light 315 3.0–3.2
Nonfiction (physics)
24-25 Inches to Feet to Yards
Using a Scale		 171
173		 3.0–3.2
Nonfiction (measurement)
26-29 Lee and the Neighborhood Mural 1,775 3.3–3.6
Fiction, multi-chapter
30 All About Horses 384 3.3–3.6
Nonfiction (life science)
An Amazing Adventure (Benchmark Passage) 252 3.3–3.6
Nonfiction
31-38 The Orbitville Kids at City Hall 2,882 3.7–4.0
Fiction, multi-chapter
39 A Balance in Government 549 3.7–4.0
Nonfiction (civics)
40 Jessica and the “Animals of the Arctic” Exhibit 598 4.1–4.3
Fiction
Life in the Deep (Benchmark Passage) 337 4.1–4.3
Nonfiction (life science)
41 Illustrations and Information 615 4.1–4.3
Nonfiction (poster display)
42 A Time for Rhyme
The Habitat of Americanus 		192 4.1–4.3
Poems
43 The Mangrove Swamp: an Important Environment 608 4.1–4.3
Nonfiction (life and Earth science)
44 Tyler at the Museum
Linda at the Baseball Game		 105
171		 4.1–4.3
Fiction
45 Hunting for Dinosaurs
Inside an Old Sailing Ship		 171
245		 4.1–4.3
Nonfiction
46 My Hard Choice
How I Found Wafers		 185
317		 4.1–4.3
Fiction
47 The Solar System of Planet Earth 380 4.1–4.3
Nonfiction (Earth and space science)
48 The Journal of the Burrows Island Whale Watcher 416 4.4
Fiction
49 Americanus and the Two Crocodiles 223 4.4
Poem
50 The Earth, Our Home 458 4.4
Nonfiction (Earth and space science)
Amazing Dinosaurs (Benchmark Passage) 376 4.4
4.4 Nonfiction


Headsprout Advanced Reading Comprehension

Episodes Title Total Words Grade Level & Genre
1-8 Multiple short passages (fiction and nonfiction) Varies 3.5–3.8
9 In the Castle Kitchen 324 3.8–4.0
Fiction
10 Wonders of the Humpback Whale 526 3.8–4.0
Nonfiction
A Journey to the Outer Planets (Benchmark Passage) 345 3.8–4.0
Nonfiction
11 Anansi Looks for a Meal: An African Folktale 307 3.8–4.0
Fiction (folktale)
12 Zheng He, World Explorer 302 3.8–4.0
Nonfiction
13 Achoo! 351 3.8–4.0
Nonfiction
15 Mysterious Objects in the Sky 291 4.0–4.3
Nonfiction
16 When Dinosaurs Walked the Earth 199 4.0–4.3
Nonfiction
17 Kids Take Action at Bettson 452 4.0–4.3
Nonfiction (news article)
18 The Exploration of Outer Space 289 4.0–4.3
Nonfiction
19 Hear, Hear! 759 4.0–4.3
Nonfiction
20 A Day at the Lake 816 4.0–4.3
Fiction
One Week at Summer Camp (Benchmark Passage) 474 4.0–4.3
Fiction
21 My Uncle Luca's Store 329 4.0–4.3
Fiction
22 Global Climate Change: Signs and Solutions 628 4.3–4.5
Nonfiction
23 The History of Chocolate 316 4.3–4.5
Nonfiction
24 The Jackal's Escape: a Folktale from Africa 338 4.5–5.0
Fiction (folktale)
25 The Day of Disasters 306 4.5–5.0
Fiction (drama)
26 My Grandfather’s Hands 82 4.5–5.0
Poem
27 Memories from Long Ago 155 4.5–5.0
Poem
28 Get Picture-Perfect Skin! 83 4.5–5.0
Advertisement
29 Bring a Skate Park to Douglass Park! 329 4.5–5.0
Persuasive essay
30 Create a Dazzling Diorama! 187 4.5–5.0
Instructional text
We Should Go to Mars (Benchmark Passage) 491 4.5–5.0
Persuasive essay
31 Encyclopedia, “Santorini” entry 101 5.0–5.5
Nonfiction
Santorini, an Island of Unforgettable Beauty 49 5.0–5.5
Advertisement
Where Does Cuteness Come From? 179 5.0–5.5
Nonfiction
The World of Baby Bears 226 5.0–5.5
Nonfiction
32 My Family's Farm (1939) 636 5.0–5.5
Fiction
A Source of Eye Color 72 5.0–5.5
Nonfiction
33 How the Milky Way Got Into the Sky: A Retelling of a Cherokee Folktale 486 5.0–5.5
Fiction (folktale)
About Our Galaxy 155 5.0–5.5
Nonfiction
34 Poem to the Dead Trees 181 5.0–5.5
Poem
Everything Works Together 69 5.0–5.5
Nonfiction
35 Life in a Wolfpack 371 5.0–5.5
Nonfiction
Save Our Wolves! 106 5.0–5.5
Persuasive essay
36 All About Pizza 506 5.0–5.5
Nonfiction
Mario’s Pizza Palace 69 5.0–5.5
Advertisement
37 The Interview 409 5.0–5.5
Fiction (drama)
So You Think You Can't Dance 311 5.0–5.5
Fiction
38 Note to My Parents 123 5.0–5.5
Poem
Aidan's Lesson 545 5.0–5.5
Fiction
39 The Lazy Husband: A Retelling of a Folktale from India 416 5.0–5.5
Fiction (folktale)
Why Cats Are Chased by Dogs: A Retelling of a Folktale from Virginia 256 5.0–5.5
Fiction (folktale)
40 Life at an Old Lighthouse 425 5.0–5.5
Nonfiction
Lighthouses Today 343 5.0–5.5
Nonfiction
Beneath Our Feet (Benchmark Passage) 183 5.0–5.5
Poem
The Night Guard at the Zoo (Benchmark Passage) 327 5.0–5.5
Fiction (drama)
41 Inside a Tree 242 5.0–5.5
Nonfiction
42 Wetlands: Why They Are Important 962 5.5
Nonfiction
43 Life at the Bottom of the Ocean 330 5.5
Nonfiction
44 Visit a Home for the Elderly! 682 5.5
Persuasive essay
45 What Do Babies Know? 565 5.5
Nonfiction
46 A Separate Train Car 375 5.5
Nonfiction
Together and Equal 364 5.5
Nonfiction (editorial)
47 The Race to Nome 655 5.5
Nonfiction
48 The Great San Francisco Earthquake 327 5.5
Nonfiction
The Journal of Miles Elliott, a boy who lived through the earthquake 347 5.5
Nonfiction
49 Coltan: Let's Be Careful 378 5.5
Persuasive essay
GreenSafe Technology Company 142 5.5
Advertisement
50 The Spider Test 323 5.5
Fiction
The Black Widow 281 5.5
Nonfiction
Pirates: Fiction and Fact (Benchmark Passage) 713 5.5
Nonfiction