Lexiles
What is the Lexile Scale?
The Lexile ® Scale is a developmental scale. There is not an explicit bottom or top to the scale, but rather two anchor points on the scale that describe different levels of reading comprehension - beginning reading and workplace text. The Lexile Scale is a valuable tool for parents because it allows you to track your child's progress over time. For example, books like "Arthur and the Recess Rookie" (370L), "Arthur Goes to Camp" (380L) and "Arthur, Clean Your Room!" (370L) fall within the Lexile Range of a typical second grader. These books have shorter sentences and words appear frequently. Conversely, books in the "Harry Potter" series (all of which measure 880L), "Little Women" (1300L) and "Don Quixote" (1410L) contain longer sentences and more complex words.
What does a Lexile measure tell me about what my child can read?
What does a Lexile measure tell me about what my child can read?
When reader and text measures match, the reader is "targeted." This is the basis for selecting text that is targeted to a reader's reading ability. Targeted readers report competence, confidence and control over the text. When a text measure is greater than a reader's measure, comprehension drops dramatically, and the subjective experience is one of frustration, inadequacy and lack of control. Conversely, when a reader's measure exceeds a text measure, comprehension goes up dramatically, and the reader experiences total control and automaticity. The Lexile Framework for Reading is a useful tool in designing and managing successful reading experiences for developing readers. The Lexile Framework is not a panacea, and is not the only important consideration. The child's interests, parental views on what constitutes age-appropriate material and teacher's instructional aims are also vital issues in managing a reader's growth. It is important to remember that a child's Lexile measure isn't a measure of his or her intelligence. The Lexile Framework is designed to match a students' reading ability (wherever it falls on the scale) with a text's readability (likewise, wherever it falls on the scale) for optimal reading success and enjoyment.
How do I find books that will help my child?
How do I find books that will help my child?
Once you obtain a Lexile measure that describes your child's reading ability, use this information to search the Lexile Titles Database to find books that are similar to the student's reading level. This database contains over 30,000 fiction and non-fiction titles that have been analyzed. On the search screen, we recommend that you use a Lexile range that is maybe 100L below your child's measure to ensure that he or she has a successful reading experience (e.g., if your child has a 880L measure, use a range that begins with 780L). On the detailed search screen, you can enter keywords to find books that match his/her interests. In addition, you can go to your local public library. Most public libraries have access to Follett, EBSCO and Bigchalk, and can search for article abstracts with Lexile measures. The key here is to get your child reading - the Lexile Framework can help you locate books that he or she is interested in reading.
How do grade levels and Lexile levels relate?
How do grade levels and Lexile levels relate?
Lexile levels do not translate specifically to grade levels. Within any classroom, there will be a range of readers and a range of materials to be read. In a fifth-grade classroom, there will be some readers that are far ahead of the rest, and there will be some readers that are far below the rest. To say that some books are "just right" for fifth graders assumes that all fifth graders are reading at the same level. What MetaMetrics tries to do with the Lexile Framework is to match readers with texts at whatever level the reader is reading. Just because a student is an excellent reader does not mean that he or she would comprehend a text typically found at a higher-grade level. Without the background knowledge, the words would not have much meaning. A high Lexile measure for a grade indicates that the student can read grade-level appropriate materials at a higher comprehension level. In the classroom, if a teacher is doing a lesson on the solar system, he or she can suggest additional readings at a variety of levels. Therefore, each child can read additional books, and both below-grade and above-grade readers can find appropriately challenging material
