Lexiles & What They Mean To Me

1. Lexiles & What They Mean To Me By Charlotte Ballard, Librarian Roberson Middle School

2. What is the Lexile scale? • The Lexile scale is a scale to decide if you are “ready” to read at a certain level of difficulty. • Beginning reading levels start at below 200L. The highest Lexile level is above 1700L for advanced reading. High lexile levels are used for professional materials and training manuals for many jobs. • Lexile levels are only designed to help match readers to books that they are able to comprehend.

3. The Lexile Level Is • NOT related to reading interests • NOT related to age appropriateness • NOT the only way to decide what to read

4. Selecting Books You may find many appropriate, interesting reading materials that are far higher or lower than your Lexile range. Some books in your Lexile range may be written for adults. Some books for children are written at a very high lexile level, such as The Tale of Peter Rabbit. Lexile levels are not meant to be your only guide to book selection. Consider your age and your interests as well. You are not required to read in your Lexile range.

5. Should I always choose material with higher Lexile levels? • Not necessarily • It helps you improve your reading if you try to read slightly above your Lexile level. • But you don’t have to choose a higher level each time you choose a new book. • Staying with one Lexile measure for several books can help you build confidence and feel comfortable until you are ready to move to a higher Lexile level.

6. Lexile Levels and Grade Levels • Lexile levels are not tied to Grade Levels. • But in Texas, TAKS will be connected to Lexile levels. • Textbooks will be starting to connect to Lexile levels. • It is a process that is just beginning.

7. What’s the Problem? Why Worry? Grade Typical Reader Measures Typical Textbook Measures Gap

8. Finding Your Lexile Level • No perfect score • TAKS results show your Lexile level—if you tried your best on the TAKS test—but you have a range around that number that is appropriate for you. • Go here to convert your TAKS scores to a Lexile number. http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index3.aspx?id=3270&menu_id3=793

9. Your range would be about 100 points below your level on the TAKS results to 50 points above your level on the TAKS results. If your Lexile level is 650, what would your range be? Figuring Your Range 550L-700L

10. Caution: • Reading too far above your Lexile score is likely to make you feel uncomfortable—unless you have a strong interest in the subject. • Reading in your comfort zone (your range) for most of your pleasure reading is the best way to improve your reading ability. • Doing a lot of reading in your comfort zone will move your Lexile level higher automatically. Reading improves reading!

11. Checking the Lexile Level of My Book Book has no Lexile level Book has Lexile level

12. Searching by Lexile Levels in the OPAC Click here

13. Enter subject Enter range

14. Roberson Middle

16. References • Lexile levels may be found at www.lexile.com IF the book has been scanned and lexiled. Some books have not been lexiled yet. Some other sites that may help you are listed here if you need some further explanations. • http://www.donjohnston.com/catalog/stflexilelevelsd.htm • Don Johnston’s explanations and examples. • http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/reading_levels.htm#lexile • Explains differences between lexiles and other reading levels. • http://www.ncpublicschools.org/accountability/parents/lexiles/ • Has an explanation for parents. (From North Carolina) • http://www.icle.net/pdf/Reading%20White%20Paper.pdf • Bill Daggett’s explanation of lexile levels.

17. References • Conversion table: http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index3.aspx?id=3270&menu_id3=793 • Most of the data in this program was found at www.lexile.com Prepared by Charlotte Ballard Updated 9-28-09