How the Libraries Were Developed

The IDR libraries are the result of a four-year process that relied on the expertise of classroom teachers and children’s librarians. The teachers brought their familiarity with comprehension strategies and a classroom perspective to the book-selection process, while the librarians contributed their vast knowledge of children’s literature and keen sense of students’ tastes.

This unique team reviewed over 4,000 titles from more than 180 publishers for inclusion in the IDR libraries. Each of the 2,160 titles chosen was placed at its optimum level by taking into account its Guided Reading level, Lexile level, journal reviews, and student response. When creating the collections, the team deliberately balanced gender, culture, genre, and subject so that even individual sets of 10 books will appeal to a variety of readers.

Learn how the libraries are leveled.