LEXILES FOR LEARNING:LEXILES FOR LEARNING:An OverviewAn Overview

Developed by the Houston Independent School District Department of Library Services

Questions To Be Answered

• Why do I need to know about Lexiles?• What are Lexiles?• How do I determine the Lexile level of

text or students?• How can I use Lexiles to help my

students?

What is “reading”?

Reading is a process in whichinformation from the text and the knowledge possessed by

the reader act together toproduce meaning.

Text + Reader = Meaning

The Lexile Tool uses the same scale to measure the student’s ability to read and the text being read.

Lexile Table

Grade Level

Reader Measures

Text Measures

(Lexile Range)

1 up to 300L 200L to 400L

2 140L to 500L 300L to 500L

3 330L to 700L 500L to 700L

4 445L to 810L 650L to 850L

5 565L to 910L 750L to 950L

6 665L to 1000L 850L to 1050L

7 735L to 1065L 950L to 1075L

8 805L to 1100L 1000L to 1100L

9 855L to 1165L 1050L to 1150L

10 905L to 1195L 1100L to 1200L

11-12 940L to 1210L 1100L to 1300L

P-16 Reading Growth Expectations

TPRI DAR SAT/ACT

Using Lexiles to determine student comprehension

Success Rates for Readers of Similar Ability with Texts of Different Readability

Reader

Ability`

Text

ReadabilityText Titles

Expected

Success

1000L

1000L

1000L

1000L

1000L

500L

750L

1000L

1250L

1500L

The Magic School Bus Inside the Earth (Cole)

The Martian Chronicles (Bradbury)

The Reader’s Digest

The Call of the Wild (London)

On Equality Among Mankind (Rousseau)

96%

90%

75%

50%

25%

Stenner, Stone

Data: National Adult Literacy Study (1992)

Jo

b L

evel

151413121110 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0

700

900

1100

1300

1500

•••

••

••

••

••

••

•

labor

serviceconstruction

craftsmanclerk

foreman

secretary

salessupervisor

nurseexecutive

teacheraccountant

scientist

Reader Ability in Lexiles

Reading in the Workplace

Lifelong Reading

• CD-DVD Player Instructions (1080L)

• Microsoft Windows User Manual (1150L)

• GM Protection Plan (1150L)

• Installing Your Child Safety Seat (1170L)

• Federal Tax Form W-4 (1260L)

• Application for a student loan (1270L)

• Medical Insurance Benefits Pkg. (1280L)

• Aetna Health Care Discount Form (1360L)

Source: Dr. William R. Daggett, CCSSO Summer Institute Presentation, July 2003

Lexiles CAN:

• Gauge student reading level to a standard

• Monitor student reading growth• Match text to reading ability

Lexiles CANNOT:

• Account for interest level• Measure background knowledge• Indicate developmental

appropriateness

How do I determine the Lexile level of my students or text?

Scholastic

Reading

Inventory

(SRI)

A quick 30 minute test, paper or computer, purchased from Scholastic which can give you a

lexile level on a new student, one that did not take the test, or can be used as a mid-year snapshot for

any student.

Lexiles and TAKS Data

Student A Student BPromoted to next grade Promoted to next grade

Passed TAKS reading Passed TAKS reading

Reads 200L below grade level

Reads 100L above grade level

Indicates need forintervention

Indicates need foracceleration

Lexiles and TAKS Data

Student C Student DNot promoted Not promoted

Did not pass TAKS reading

Did not pass TAKS reading

Reads 400L below grade level

Reads 40L below grade level

Indicates need forintense intervention

Indicates need forminimum intervention

LIBRARIAN’S EXPERTISE + LEXILES =IMPROVED STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT

• Appropriately matched books that are engaging and challenging

• Improved reading success and enjoyment• Positive growth in reading proficiency and

motivation• Effectively managed differentiated

instruction

TEACHER’S EXPERTISE + LEXILES =IMPROVED STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT

• Differentiating Instruction• Matching class work to students’ reading

ability• Positive growth in reading proficiency and

motivation• Effective communication with parents

about lexiles and reading growth

How can I use Lexiles to help my students?

http://www.lexile.com

Library Services Provides Access To Online Resources From Home

It's not always easy to find online resources that can help students with their schoolwork. That's why HISD's Library Services Department makes a variety of resources available.

Now teachers, staff, students and parents can access these resources from home!

When these resources are accessed from a computer located on an HISD network, you will not need a login ID or password.

• To access the online resources from home, a login ID and password are required. For login ID and password information, you may contact:

• Your school librarian, or call Library Services at 713-861-1204.

• You will be able to find magazine articles, maps, timelines, graphs, photos, charts, and all sorts of other educational materials to help students get the most from their coursework

• A list of resource links and details on what each provide is located on the Library Services Department Web site:  Online Resources.  You may find a link to these resources in the Parent Information Channel.

Lexiled Databases

EBSCO

Grolier Online

ProQuest

Thompson Gale

Leveled DatabaseLeveled Database

NetTrekker

Within the HISD network passwords are not needed.

You will need them for Home Access.

Username: houstonisd

Password: dynamos

Communicating with Parents

• Don’t get too focused on numbers – ranges are important.

• Give examples of books and other text materials.

• Talk about where the student is now, but also where they are going!

Communicating with Parents

• Emphasize that The Lexile Framework does not address:– interest,– age appropriateness,– text support, or– text quality.– It looks only at text difficulty – books– should always be previewed.

Communicating with Parents

• Finally, explain that The Lexile Framework is a tool for matching readers with appropriately challenging text, not a reading program.

FUTURE• Automation system enhancements

– Library management – Student management

• Customized reading growth charts• Differentiated reports, Aprenda, Stanford, Texas

Assessment of Knowledge and Skills, Scholastic Reading Inventory

• Increased databases with Lexile feature– EBSCO– ProQuest– Gale– NetTrekker– Grolier

• Individualized Summer Reading Lists designed to grow the reading ability of our students.

• Lexiles will be available to you on Chancery

• Class schedules will contain the lexile score for each of your students

• Get Snapshot Lexile Scores on students throughout the year for the students who did not take TAKS or Stanford and additional data points for those that did

FUTURE