What is a Lexile measure?
A Lexile measure describes a student's reading ability and allows you to compare that ability with the difficulty of books and other texts. Lexile measures are always a number followed by a capital L, for example 650L. The Lexile scale spans reading ability and text difficulty from the youngest of readers all the way up to those reading the most complex texts. To illustrate the scale, the Lexile® map shows Lexile measures ranging between approximately 200L and 1700L. However, some reading materials and readers do have Lexile measures below 0L and may have a code of BR* for beginning reader. The BR code replaces a negative sign and represents a value that is below zero on the Lexile scale.
Now that I know my child’s Lexile measure, what do I do with it?
Student score reports show a student's Lexile measure and Lexile range. However, if you only have the student's Lexile measure, you can easily determine his/her Lexile range.To calculate your student's Lexile range, add 50L to the student's reported Lexile measure to find the top end of the range and subtract 100L from the measure to identify the bottom end of the range; in other words, locate 50L above and 100L below their reported Lexile measure. This range represents the boundaries between the easiest kind of reading material that still provides a challenge for your student and the hardest level at which he/she can read independently. Reading below a child's Lexile range should not be discouraged; it's simply an indication that such reading may not help the child grow as quickly. Likewise, a child reading above his or her Lexile range should not be discouraged either; it is simply an indication that the child may need some help understanding what they read.
Example: Susie's Individual Student Report shows she has a Lexile measure of 450L. Her range would be 350L to 500L. If she is reading below this range we might want to encourage her to follow up this book with something more difficult. If she chooses to read above this range, she may need some help with her reading or may need to read alongside someone older.
Where can I find books within my child’s Lexile range?
The parent-friendly book search engine, Find a Book, allows parents to enter the child's Lexile measure. Parents can also search for reading materials without a Lexile measure by entering the student's grade, comfort level with reading, and child's preference for topics and/or genres. A selection of books that fit these criteria will be generated. Then the parent can select those titles that interest the student and save them to a list for future reference.
Additionally, ask your school media specialist or public librarian to assist in locating books with Lexile measures. Many publishers have analyzed their books to receive Lexile measures, and this information can often be found in the library catalogue system as well as on the book's copyright page, spine, or back cover.
Remember a Lexile measure for a book is a measure of text complexity only. It does not address the subject matter or text quality, age-appropriateness of the content, or a reader's interests. These issues need to be considered in addition to the Lexile measure of the text. The Lexile measure is one piece of information that you can use when selecting books.
MetaMetrics developed the Lexile® Framework and provides a wealth of information for teachers and families on Lexiles. Three documents, in particular, are helpful: Lexile Parent Guide, Lexile Educator Guide, and Lexile Librarian Guide.
Visit the Find a Book site:
Where can I find out more about Lexiles?
The Assessment and Accountability Division of the Georgia Department of Education has created a presentation on Lexiles. This document is linked on the right side of the page.
Additional information provided by the Georgia Department of Education is available on GeorgiaStandards.org.
MetaMetrics developed the Lexile® Framework and provides a wealth of information for teachers and families on Lexiles. Three documents, in particular, are helpful: Lexile Measures in the Home, Lexile Measures in the Classroom, and Lexile Measures in the Library. To find these family and educator guides and other helpful information, visit the MetaMetrics Lexile website at: www.lexile.com.
Where can I find my son’s or daughter’s Lexile measure?
You
will find the Lexile measure on the individual student reports for the Georgia
Milestones End of Grade English Language Arts (ELA) assessments in grades 3
through 8 as well as for the Georgia Milestones End of Course ELA assessments
for American Literature and Composition.
