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All Cambridge Public Library locations will be closed December 24, 25, and 26 for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day. They will close at 4:30 pm on December 31 for New Year's Eve and remain closed on January 1 for New Year's Day.

Read the Rainbow

read the rainbow

At the library, we believe that the power of reading can transform lives. Our Read the Rainbow collection is crafted to support at-home learning, whether you’re homeschooling or practicing literacy skills after school. This collection supports your child’s literacy development with a range of materials designed to make learning fun.

Read the Rainbow includes:

  • picture books
  • early readers
  • chapter books
  • non-fiction
  • curated kits with books, games, and activity sheets to practice their reading skills

These books and kits are organized by reading level, from early sight words and phonics at the Red level to more complex sentences and vocabulary at the Green and Blue levels. 

We encourage families to "jump in and jump around!" Explore the different colours based on your child’s reading level. If a Read the Rainbow book or kit seems too easy or too challenging, try another. With over a dozen kits at each level and hundreds of individual titles available in our catalogue, there’s plenty to discover.

Read the Rainbow kits and books can be placed on hold through our catalogue or visit any of our locations to explore the collection.  

View the kits at each level below:

Read the Rainbow: Red  

Read the Rainbow: Orange  

Read the Rainbow: Yellow

Read the Rainbow: Green 

Read the Rainbow: Blue  


Read the Rainbow Levels

Red

Content Focus: Introduction to books, focus on phonics and syllables, simple vocabulary, simple illustrations
Stage: Emergent Reader
Ages: 3-4
Grades: Preschool and Kindergarten
PM Benchmark: 1-5
Guided Reading Level: A-B  
Lexile Range: BR

Orange

Content Focus: Simple sentences, nouns, predictable text, complex illustrations
Stage: Early Reader
Ages: 4-6
Grades: Kindergarten - Grade 1
PM Benchmark: 5-12
Guided Reading: C-H
Lexile Range: BR – 300L

Yellow

Content Focus: Narrative skills, increasing vocabulary, verbs and adjectives
Stage: Developing Reader
Ages: 6-7
Grades: 1-2
PM Benchmark: 13-20
Guided Reading: I-L
Lexile Range: 200L – 500L

Green

Content Focus: Longer sentences, complex vocabulary, some illustrations
Stage: Decoding Reader
Ages: 7-8
Grades: 2-3
PM Benchmark: 21-25
Guided Reading: M-N
Lexile Range: 400L – 700L

Blue

Content Focus: Expanded vocabulary, detailed plots and setting, polly-syllabic words
Stage: Fluent Reader
Ages: 8-9
Grades: 3-4
PM Benchmark: 26-28
Guided Reading: O-P
Lexile Range: 600L – 900L
 

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1 North Square, Cambridge, ON N1S 2K6
Phone: 519-621-0460

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