The Lexile Framework®
for Reading
Using Lexiles in the Classroom
Presented by: Rick Dills, Ed.D
Retired Oregon Teacher and School District Administrator
Facilitator, MetaMetrics, Inc.
profdev@lexile.com
A Life-long Love of Reading?
Relationship between Time Spent
Reading and Reading Achievement
Fifth-Grade Students
Percentile
Rank
Minutes of
Text Reading
per Day
Estimated Number
of Words Read per
Year
98
90
70
50
20
10
90.7
40.4
21.7
12.9
3.1
1.6
4,733,000
2,357,000
1,168,000
601,000
134,000
51,000
from Anderson et al., 1988, Table 3, N = 155.
Warm-up and Stretch
 Think of a skill or activity in which you
have improved recently.
 Describe your skills before and after your
improvement.
 How did you “measure” your
improvement?
Improvement in Reading
 In what ways does your
experience relate to the
reading improvement
process?
 How do you “measure” your
students’ growth as readers?
Whom Am I Teaching?
Jobs and Grade Levels?
Experience with Lexiles
Always
wanted to
own one
1
3 and a
QuickTime™
TIFF (LZW) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
5
I’m Malbert
Smith
Experience with Differentiation
Took biology
in high school
1
3
5
I’m Carol Ann
Tomlinson
Today’s Workshop Topics
 Learning about Whom You Are Teaching




through Lexiles
Understanding the Lexile Framework
Matching Readers to Texts, Forecasting
Comprehension and Tracking Growth
Using Lexile Resources to Support Instruction
and Differentiation
Accessing Lexile Resources Available to
Teachers
Lexile Workshops: Teacher Objectives
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Use Lexiles as a reading measurement system
Profile students, predict comprehension, and match
readers to text
Understand, chart, and explain patterns of Lexile
growth
Access and use online resources
Differentiate instruction by developing and using
tiered reading/resource lists
Empower students to be strategic, reflective readers
who can use Lexile resources
Communicate with parents about Lexiles, growth,
and how to access resources
Workshop Materials
 Slide Notes
 Lexville SD Simulation Materials
 Lexile Maps and Charts
 Informational Handouts
Learning about Whom You
Are Teaching
Big Question:
What can Lexile scores tell you
about your students?
A Lexville School District Classroom
Nam e
Grade Ethnicity Ge nde r T1 Lexiles
Alberto
4
H
M
732
Ashley
4
Brian
4
W
F
356
W
M
752
Bry ce
Caitlin
4
W
M
716
4
W
F
1018
Cry stal
4
W
F
619
Dav id
4
W
M
795
Haley
4
W
F
651
Hanna
4
W
F
837
Heidi
4
W
F
688
Jesse
4
W
M
627
Jessica
4
W
F
405
Jon
4
W
M
505
Jordy n
4
W
F
760
Jose
4
H
M
298
Kahlid
4
M
M
460
Karen
4
W
F
456
Leslie
4
W
F
751
Letisha
4
B
F
261
Lev i
4
W
M
673
Maria
4
H
F
496
Ming
4
M
M
681
Nicholas
4
W
M
833
Peter
4
W
M
973
Tania
4
B
F
387
Teressa
4
H
F
332
Trav is
4
W
M
437
Veronica
4
H
F
629
Vladimir
4
M
M
929
Lexcel
Elementary
4th Grade
Students
Teacher:
Alex Isles
Fall Scores (T1)
(from a computer-based
Reading Inventory)
Sorted by alpha
Activity 1:
Studying Classroom Patterns
 What is the Lexile range for this classroom




(lowest and highest scores)?
What Lexile patterns do you see in the class?
Which students (if any) have Lexile scores that
are outside the class Lexile continuum?
Based on the Lexile patterns, how might you
group these students?
What questions come to mind?
What is a Lexile?
Big Idea:
Lexiles provide a single measure of…
Reader Ability and Text Readability
Lexiles: A measurement system
 “lex-” - root word referring to “words”




(e.g. “lexicon”)
“-ile” - root word referring to “measures”
(e.g., “percentile”)
Lexiles are units that measure text readability.
Lexiles can also measure reading ability by determining the level of text a reader can
comprehend.
Lexiles are based on a sophisticated statistical
model (Rasch modeling).
How do Lexiles measure reading?
Inquiry Exercise
 Three measurement
tools…
 An object in the
room…
 A doorway…
 Meaning?
How are Lexiles like inches?
 A universal, accurate
measurement system
 Used to measure a
student’s current
“size” and growth
over time
 Not grade specific:
Students come in
different sizes and
grow at different
rates
Growing Taller as a Reader
Like pencil marks on a wall,
Lexiles provide a measure of reading growth over time
The Lexile scale can measure…
2000L
 How “tall” a student is as a reader
―
1800L
Where he/she falls on a Lexile text map at any
point in time
1400L
 How high a student can “reach”
―
The Lexile range of text that the student can read
and comprehend successfully
1000L
 How much “taller” a student has grown
―
The change over time in the student’s Lexile level
and the range of text he/she can read
600L
200L
0
Kids Come in All Sizes
…as Readers, Too
Reading Scores in Lexiles
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
Fall4th
Lexile
Scores
Spring
Lexile Scores
graders
lined up
by height?
Growth Trajectories for Height and
Reading
Reading by Grade
180
1600
160
1400
140
1200
Lexile Measure
Standing Height (cm)
Height by Age
120
100
80
1000
800
600
60
400
40
200
20
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8 10
9 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
Age (Years)
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10 11 12 13
Grade
Source: Malbert Smith
“Unification” in Science
Temperature
1700
Time
1890
Metric System Reading
1970
2000
Mathematics
2004
The Lexile Framework® for Reading
Allows us to…
 Measure reader ability
and text readability with
a common metric: Lexiles
 Forecast the level of
comprehension a reader
is expected to experience
with a particular text
MetaMetrics: The Lexile Company
 Founded in 1984
 R&D firm focused on integrating
assessment and instruction
 Research funded by five grants
from National Institute of Child
Health and Human Development
 Commercialized The Lexile
Framework for Reading in 1997
The Unification of Reading
Textbook Publishers
Test Publishers
CTB/McGraw-Hill
Educational Testing Services (ETS)
Harcourt Educational Measurement
North Carolina Department of Public Instruction
Northwest Evaluation Association
Riverside Publishing
Texas Education Agency
Utah State Office of Education
Addison-Wesley
Britannica
Glencoe/McGraw-Hill
Globe-Fearon
Hampton-Brown
Harcourt School Publishers
Holt Rinehart & Winston
Houghton Mifflin
Prentice Hall
SRA/McGraw-Hill
Scott Foresman
Prebinders
Modern Curriculum
Pearson
Scholastic
Rand McNally
Rigby
Rosen
SRA/McGraw-Hill
Scott Foresman
Steck-Vaughn
The Wright Group
Periodical Databases
Bigchalk/ProQuest
EBSCO
Questia
Newsbank
The Booksource
Bound-to-Stay
BoundDEMCO
Econoclad
Permabound
Book Distributors &
Databases
School/Public Libraries
Follett Library Services
Follett Software Company
Mackin Library Media
Book Publishers
Crabtree
Dominee
DK Publishing
Glencoe/McGraw-Hill
Globe-Fearon
Hampton Brown
Harcourt
Holt
Leapfrog
Lee & Low
Reading Motivation
EBSCO Online Reader
Hooked on Phonics
HOSTS
Scholastic Read180
Scholastic Reading Counts!
Success for All
Baker & Taylor
The Book Source
Follett Library Services
Follett Software Co.
Ingram
RRBowker
Sundance
Current Impact of Lexiles
 Millions of K-12 students receive Lexile measures
from a linked test (national norm-referenced or state
criterion-referenced)
 Over 450 book publishers have titles with Lexile
measures
 Tens of millions of articles with Lexile measures are
available through database-services partners
 Tens of thousands of books with Lexile measures are
available at www.lexile.com/lexilebookdatabase
States Currently Using Lexiles
Lexiles in Texas
(Measuring Readers in El Paso)

The TAKS has been linked to the Lexile scale through a correlation study.

Students in grades 3-10 and exiting students take the TAKS and receive a
predicted Lexile score that correlates to their TAKS reading performance
score.

TAKS student reports now include predicted Lexile scores.
Schools/teachers have access to conversion tables that correlate TAKS
raw/scale scores with Lexiles.

In addition, students in grades 3, 5, and 8 will be able to take the Pearson
PASeries online formative assessment up to 3 times a year to attain a Lexile
score and forecast their predicted TAKS performance.
Teachers will be able to use Lexile scores/ranges to study
classroom patterns, predict comprehension, inform
instruction, and chart growth.
TAKS Confidential Student Report & Lexiles
QuickTime™ and a
TIFF (LZW) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
TAKS to Lexile
Conversion
Tables
Accessible at
TEA Website
http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/resources/lexile/
Classroom Score Report
Nam e
Range = 757L
LOW
HIGH
Grade Ethnicity Ge nde r T1 Lexiles
Letisha
4
B
F
261
Jose
4
H
M
298
Teressa
4
H
F
332
Ashley
4
W
F
356
Tania
4
B
F
387
Jessica
4
W
F
405
Trav is
4
W
M
437
Karen
4
W
F
456
Kahlid
4
M
M
460
Maria
4
H
F
496
Jon
4
W
M
505
Cry stal
4
W
F
619
Jesse
4
W
M
627
Veronica
4
H
F
629
Haley
4
W
F
651
Lev i
4
W
M
673
Ming
4
M
M
681
Heidi
4
W
F
688
Bry ce
4
W
M
716
Alberto
4
H
M
732
Leslie
4
W
F
751
Brian
4
W
M
752
Jordy n
4
W
F
760
Dav id
4
W
M
795
Nicholas
4
W
M
833
Hanna
4
W
F
837
Vladimir
4
M
M
929
Peter
4
W
M
973
Caitlin
4
W
F
1018
Lexcel
Elementary
4th Grade
Students
Teacher:
Alex Isles
Fall Scores (T1)
(from a computer-based
Reading Inventory)
Sorted by Lexiles
“Typical” Classroom
 By the end of elementary school, there is an
800-900 Lexile range in a typical classroom.
 The extent of this range often increases in
middle and high school.
 How do students in a
typical classroom
“measure up” to the
textbooks they are given?
Grade Level Text Demands:
A Real-World Standard for Reading Achievement
 Lexile researchers have
analyzed thousands of
texts to determine typical
text demands for grades in
school and pathways after
school
 Students’ Lexile levels
predict how well they
“measure up” to the text
demands they will face
Text Demand Level by Grade
Grade
Typical Text Demand
(from Lexile English Map)
1st Grade
200L to 400L
2nd Grade
300L to 500L
3rd Grade
500L to 700L
4th Grade
650L to 850L
5th Grade
750L to 950L
6th Grade
850L to 1050L
7th Grade
950L to 1075L
8th Grade
1000L to 1100L
9th Grade
1050L to 1150L
10th Grade
1100L to 1200L
11th and 12th Grade
1100L to 1300L
Activity 2:
Meeting Text Demands in Your Classroom
 What are the typical text measures for your grade level




classroom? [Text Demand by Grade Chart]
What is the Lexile range for your classroom?
[Classroom Score Report]
How well do your students “match up” with the
typical texts at your level? With the actual texts in your
classroom?
What do you do to support students whose reading
levels don’t match your texts?
What might you do? How might Lexiles help you?
What are the implications for
your students?
 In your classroom?
 In life?
Lexiles and Life After School
 Adult Text Demands:
What is the range of text typically
encountered as an informed citizen,
consumer, and worker?
1100L to 1400L
Lexiles and The News
 Reuters
 NY Times
 Washington Post
 Wall Street Journal
 Chicago Tribune
 Associated Press
 USA Today
Lexiles and The News
 Reuters (1440L)
 NY Times (1380L)
 Washington Post (1350L)
 Wall Street Journal (1320L)
 Chicago Tribune (1310L)
 Associated Press (1310L)
 USA Today (1200L)
Lexiles and Lifelong Reading








Aetna Health Care Discount Form
Medical Insurance Benefit Package
Application for Student Loan
Federal Tax Form W-4
Installing Your Child Safety Seat
Microsoft Windows User Manual
GM Protection Plan
CD-DVD Player Instructions
Lexiles and Lifelong Reading
 Aetna Health Care Discount Form (1360L)
 Medical Insurance Benefit Package (1280L)
 Application for Student Loan (1270L)
 Federal Tax Form W-4 (1260L)
 Installing Your Child Safety (1170L)
 Microsoft Windows User Manual (1150L)
 GM Protection Plan (1150L)
 CD-DVD Player Instructions (1080L)
Lexile Study:
“Student Readiness for Postsecondary Options”
Gary Williamson, Ph.D. (2004)
Median Text Measures:
 11th/12th grade (LA/SS textbooks):
 Military (training/field manuals):
 Citizenship (newspapers, voting, jury):
 Workplace (Daggett study materials):
 Postsecondary - first two yrs (textbooks):
―
―
GED Test Materials:
SAT/ACT Test Materials:
1090L
1180L
1230L
1260L
1355L
1060L
1180L
Job Level
Lexiles and Jobs
15
14
13
12
11
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
•
•
•
•
scientist
•
accountant
teacher
executive
nurse
• supervisor
• sales
•
700
•
•
•
•
•
• secretary
foreman
clerk
craftsman
construction
service
labor
900
1100
1300
Reader measure (in Lexiles)
Data: National Adult Literacy Study (1992)
1500
Lexiles and Salary
5.2
5
• $50,000-$74,999
4.8
Log Income
•$75,000 +
• $40,000-$49,999
4.6
•
4.4
•
4.2
4
•
•
•
$30,000-$39,999
$20,000-$29,999
$15,000-$19,999
$10,000-$14,999
$5,000-$9,999
3.8
700
800 900 1000
1100 1200
Data: National Adult Literacy Study (1992)
1300
1400 1500
Understanding the
Lexile Framework
Big Idea:
Lexiles allow us to…
Match Reader Ability and Text Difficulty
Two Underlying Concepts
of the Lexile Framework
 Text Readability
―
The difficulty of reading materials (based on
dimensions or characteristics of the text)
 Reader Ability
―
The ability of readers to construct meaning
from text (as measured on tests)
Based on the relationship between Reader Ability
and Text Readability, it is possible to…
―
―
―
Predict Reading Comprehension
Differentiate Instruction
Measure Reader Progress and Growth
Lexile Framework Components
The Lexile
Analyzer®
The Lexile® Map
Linked
Reading Test
Test of
Reading
Development
Measures
Text Readability
Measures
Reader Ability
Links
Text & Reader
Activity
Analyzing Text Readability
 Read and examine the
following two passages.
 Write down 2-4 ways
that the passages differ.
 Share and compare your
observations with your
neighbor’s.
Clifford’s Manners
(Bridwell, 300L)
Clifford loves to go visiting. When he visits his sister in the
country, he always calls ahead. Clifford always arrives on time.
Don’t be late. Knock before you walk in. He knocks on the door
before he enters. He wipes his feet first. Wipe your feet. Clifford
kisses his sister. He shakes hands with her friend. Shake hands.
Wash up before you eat. Clifford’s sister has dinner ready.
Clifford washes his hands before he eats. Clifford chews his food
with his mouth closed. He never talks with his mouth full. Don’t
talk with your mouth full. Help clean up. Clifford helps with the
clean-up. Say good-bye. Then he says thank you and good-bye to
his sister and to his friend. Everyone loves Clifford’s manners.
(260L)
Discourse on the Methods and
Meditations on First Philosophy
(R. Descartes, 1720L)
To such a class of things pertains corporeal nature in general, and
its extension, the figure of extended things, their quantity or
magnitude and number, as also the place in which they are, the
time which measures their duration, and so on. That is possibly
why our reasoning is not unjust when we conclude from this that
Physics, Astronomy, Medicine and all other science which have as
their end the consideration of composite things, are very simple
and very general, without taking great trouble to ascertain whether
they are actually existent or not, contain some measure of certainty
and an element of indubitable.
(1870L)
Text Characteristics that Influence
Readability
 Syntactic Complexity
― The number of words per sentence
― Longer sentences are more complex and require
more short-term memory to process
 Semantic Difficulty
― The frequency with which words appear in
MetaMetrics’ Corpus of written text
(which contains over 1-billion words)
― Less familiar words impede reading fluency and
affect comprehension
Determining Text Readability
Scan text
into Electronic Format
Edit Text
Examine Words
Examine Sentences
Calculate Lexile Measure
Review Text and Lexile Measure
Teachers can use the free
Lexile Analyzer to:
 Determine the
readability level of:
―
―
―
Documents saved as text
(.txt) files
Teacher-prepared
materials
Scanned documents
(translated to text with
optical character recognition OCR - software)
―
Text copied from the
Internet
Activity 4
Predicting Lexile Measures
 Think of a book you have read
recently
 Consider what you recall about
its syntactic complexity
(sentence length) and semantic
difficulty (word familiarity)
 Predict your book’s Lexile
measure and write down your
prediction
Limitations of Lexile Measures
What Lexiles don’t address
 Text Characteristics
―
Age Appropriateness
of Content
―
Text Support
―
Text Quality
 Reader Characteristics
―
Interest and Motivation
―
Background Knowledge
―
Reading Context and
Purpose
Lexiles only measure text readability.
Therefore, input from readers, parents, teachers,
and librarians is always necessary.
Readability of Harry Potter and the…
 Order of the Phoenix
 Chamber of Secrets
 Goblet of Fire
 Prisoner of Azkaban
 Sorcerer’s Stone
Readability of Harry Potter and the…






Order of the Phoenix (950L)
Chamber of Secrets (940L)
Goblet of Fire (880L)
Prisoner of Azkaban (880L)
Sorcerer’s Stone (880L)
Half-Blood Prince (1030L)
Michael Crichton Titles:
Lexile Measures?













Rising Sun
Disclosure
Sphere
Timeline
Airframe
A Case of Need
The Lost World
The Terminal Man
Jurassic Park
The Andromeda Strain
Congo
The Great Train Robbery
Eaters of the Dead
Michael Crichton Titles:
Lexile Measures













Rising Sun
Disclosure
Sphere
Timeline
Airframe
A Case of Need
The Lost World
The Terminal Man
Jurassic Park
The Andromeda Strain
Congo
The Great Train Robbery
Eaters of the Dead
540L
590L
610L
620L
640L
650L
670L
690L
710L
840L
940L
1060L
1090L
Use the Lexile Book Database to:
 Determine the Lexile
measure of a book
(using title, author, or
ISBN#)
 Find books related to
a topic or theme in a
targeted Lexile range
through a Keyword
Search
Activity 4
Lexiles in Your Classroom
 How might you help your students
(parents?) understand Lexiles?
 How will you get Lexile scores for your
students?
 How might you use Lexiles to support
teaching and learning in your classroom?
 What questions do you have about
Lexiles and reading?
Matching Reader Ability
and Text Readability
Big Idea:
Students read, comprehend, and grow more if…
Reader Ability and Text Readability
Match
Growing Stronger as a Reader
How is reading growth like weight training?
The Classroom as a Reading “Gym”
 The levels of lifting (reading)
ability vary - so should the levels of
challenges.
 The weight (text level)
can be adjusted to match the person.
 A lifter (reader)
gets stronger when challenged, but
not when overloaded.
 All lifters (readers) - no matter
what their levels - can grow
stronger in the same Gym
(classroom).
Building Reading Strength…
 A reader builds “strength” by reading matched
text - text that is within his/her Lexile range.
 As a reader builds “strength,” comprehension
and the text level he or she can comprehend
increase.
 While tests help us estimate reading ability, the
the best measure of a reader’s “strength” is the
level of text he/she can read and comprehend.
Lexile Comprehension Model
Reader Ability (in Lexiles)
- Text Readability (in Lexiles)
Forecasted Comprehension
When RA - TR = 0, Comprehension = 75%
Predicting Comprehension & Matching Text:
Forecasted Comprehension Rate
The Lexile Calculator
Less Challenging
100%
Targeted text
range
80%
90%
75
60%
50%
40%
20%
More Challenging
0%
-1000 -750 -500 -250
-50 to +100
0
250
500
Reader - Text (in Lexiles)
750
Activity 5
Predicting Textbook Comprehension
 Determine the Lexile level of a textbook
passage from your classroom level.
 Study the patterns of students’ Lexile
levels in your classroom.
 Predict how well different groups of
students will comprehend the text.
Science Textbook
Estimate this passage’s Lexile level
Matter is anything that takes up space and has mass. Matter also has
properties which can be observed. These properties are color, texture,
shape, size, hardness, smell, temperature, magnetic attraction,
dissolvability in liquid, and buoyancy. Buoyancy is the upward force of
water or air that keeps things afloat. An example of buoyancy is a boat
floating on top of water.
Mass is the amount of matter that makes up an object. It can be
measured in kilograms and grams. A balance can be used to measure
mass.
The three states of matter are solid, liquid, and gas. A solid has definite
shape and amount of space. Examples of solids are a book, pencil, and
desk. A liquid takes the shape of its container and takes up a definite
amount of space. Orange juice, water, and oil are examples of liquids.
A gas does not have a definite shape or take up a definite amount of
space. Helium and oxygen are examples of gases.
Science Textbook
Estimate this passage’s Lexile level
Matter is anything that takes up space and has mass. Matter also has
properties which can be observed. These properties are color, texture,
shape, size, hardness, smell, temperature, magnetic attraction,
dissolvability in liquid, and buoyancy. Buoyancy is the upward force of
water or air that keeps things afloat. An example of buoyancy is a boat
floating on top of water.
Mass is the amount of matter that makes up an object. It can be
measured in kilograms and grams. A balance can be used to measure
mass.
The three states of matter are solid, liquid, and gas. A solid has definite
shape and amount of space. Examples of solids are a book, pencil, and
desk. A liquid takes the shape of its container and takes up a definite
amount of space. Orange juice, water, and oil are examples of liquids.
A gas does not have a definite shape or take up a definite amount of
space. Helium and oxygen are examples of gases.
790L
Predicting Comprehension
 How well do you think Alex Isles’
Lexville students will comprehend the
science text passage?
―
―
―
―
Jordyn and David?
Maria and Jon?
Peter and Caitlin?
Letisha?
Why 75% Comprehension?
Years of MM research suggests that at 75%…
 A reader can have a successful reading experience
without frustration or boredom
 A reader can achieve “functional comprehension” of
the text
 A reader will be sufficiently challenged (by vocabulary
and syntax) to improve
75% is the “right amount of challenge”
Managing Comprehension
 Readers can experience frustration when…
Text readability is 100L+ above their Lexile level
 Readers can experience ease when…
― Text readability is 50-100L below their Lexile level
 Readers can experience growth when…
― Text readability is within their Lexile range
―
General Reading Recommendation:
Targeted text range of 100L below to 50L above the
student’s Lexile level
Note: This range may vary based on text type, reading context and purpose,
reading strategies and support, and reader motivation.
Identifying a Student’s Lexile Range
 Review the student’s Lexile score
 “Round” the student’s score to the nearest 50L (when
in doubt, round down)
 Subtract 100L and add 50L to get a Lexile range
Student
Lexile Score
Rounded Score
Lexile Range
Letisha
261
250
150-300
Developing a Classroom Profile
Classroom Profiling Worksheet
List students and Lexile scores
Text
Demand
Name
Grade
Lexile
Score
Rounded
Score
Lexile
Range
Text Group
Target Range
Activity 6
Grouping Students & Matching Text
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Re-examine the patterns of Lexile levels in your Lexville
classroom.
“Round” students’ scores/ranges to the nearest 50L level
(when in doubt, round down).
Build a Lexile range around the rounded number (100L
below to 50L above) for each student.
Cluster students who have similar Lexile ranges.
Chart in the range of typical text (or level of actual text)
encountered at your grade level.
Group students for “text matching” based on the
relationship of their Lexile levels and the text level/range.
Determine Lexile ranges for supplemental text needed to
match students’ Lexile ranges.
Student Groups for Text Matching
 Lexile levels match text range: able to read and




comprehend independently with growth
Lexile levels above text range: may need
supplemental (higher Lexile) text to grow
Lexile levels within 250L below text range: may need
supplemental (lower Lexile) text to build background
and promote grow
Lexile levels 250L+ below text range: need alternative
materials to comprehend content
Students outside the class range (either end): need
alternative materials and instruction
Classroom Profile for Text Matching
Nam e
Typical Grade 4
Text Demands:
Science
Text
790L
650-850L
Text Range
Targets
Grade Ethnicity Ge nde r T1 Lexiles Lexile Range
Letisha
4
B
F
261
150-300
Jose
4
H
M
298
200-350
Teressa
4
H
F
332
250-400
Ashley
4
W
F
356
250-400
Tania
4
B
F
387
300-450
Jessica
4
W
F
405
300-450
Trav is
4
W
M
437
350-500
Karen
4
W
F
456
350-500
Kahlid
4
M
M
460
350-500
Maria
4
H
F
496
400-550
Jon
4
W
M
505
400-550
Cry stal
4
W
F
619
500-650
Jesse
4
W
M
627
500-650
Veronica
4
H
F
629
500-650
Haley
4
W
F
651
550-700
Lev i
4
W
M
673
550-700
Ming
4
M
M
681
600-750
Heidi
4
W
F
688
600-750
Bry ce
4
W
M
716
600-750
Alberto
4
H
M
732
650-800
Leslie
4
W
F
751
650-800
Brian
4
W
M
752
650-800
Jordy n
4
W
F
760
650-800
Dav id
4
W
M
795
700-850
Nicholas
4
W
M
833
750-900
Hanna
4
W
F
837
750-900
Vladimir
4
M
M
929
850-100
Peter
4
W
M
973
850-100
Caitlin
4
W
F
1018
900-1050
Need alternative materials &
instruction
Will need alternative
materials and/or
scaffolding to
comprehend content,
avoid frustration, and
grow
350L
& below
250L550L
May need supplemental
(lower Lexile) text to build
background and promote
growth
500L700L
Able to read and
comprehend text
independently and
grow as readers
600L900L
May need supplemental
(higher Lexile) text to grow
850L1050L
Need alternative materials &
instruction
Classroom Profile for Text Matching
Nam e
Lucia
Science
Text
1025L
Grade Gender
7
F
Test 1 RIT
T1 Lexiles
Lexile
Range
195
335
2 0 0-350 L
Travis
7
M
197
370
2 5 0-400 L
Letisha
7
F
212
640
5 5 0-700 L
Teressa
7
F
214
675
5 5 0-700 L
Tania
7
F
216
710
6 0 0-750 L
M ic hael
7
M
218
745
6 5 0-800 L
Jose
7
M
218
745
6 5 0-800 L
Karen
7
F
220
785
7 0 0-850 L
Carlos
7
M
221
800
7 0 0-850 L
Maria
7
F
222
820
7 0 0-850 L
Jana
7
F
222
820
7 0 0-850 L
Ricardo
7
M
223
835
7 5 0-900 L
Crystal
7
F
223
835
7 5 0-900 L
Kahl id
7
M
223
835
7 5 0-900 L
Jaim e
7
M
223
835
7 5 0-900 L
Esm erelda
7
F
224
855
7 5 0-900 L
T risha
7
F
224
855
7 5 0-900 L
Alberto
7
M
224
855
7 5 0-900 L
Bryce
7
M
227
910
8 0 0-950 L
Hei di
7
F
228
925
8 0 0-950 L
Ming
7
M
231
980
9 0 0-1050L
Typical Grade 7
Text Demands:
Brian
7
F
232
1000
9 0 0-1050L
David
7
M
232
1000
9 0 0-1050L
950-1075L
Jordyn
7
F
234
1035
9 5 0-1100L
DeMarcus
7
M
237
1085
1 000-1150 L
Hanna
7
F
239
1125
1 050-1200 L
Vladimir
7
M
239
1125
1 050-1200 L
Peter
7
M
240
1145
1 050-1200 L
Cai tlin
7
F
249
1265+
1 200-1350 L
Text Range
Targets
Need alternative materials &
instruction
400L
& below
Will need alternative
materials and/or scaffolding
to comprehend content,
avoid frustration, and grow
550L800L
May need supplemental
(lower Lexile) text to
build background and
promote growth
700L950L
Able to read and
comprehend text
independently and grow
as readers
900L1150L
May need supplemental
(higher Lexile) text to grow
1050L1200L
Needs alternative materials &
instruction
1200L+
Text Matching: A Vision of the Future
 Achieve 3000 KidBiz
and TeenBiz
 Online student
“news zine”
 Determines each
student’s Lexile
reading level
 Adjusts text level to
match student
Why is text matching important?
Matched Text = Increased
Reading Growth
Tracking Lexile Growth:
Some Considerations
 Lexiles provide an authentic measure of reading




growth - because they relate to text readability levels.
“True” growth takes time - from 6 months to 2 years
before significant changes may be seen.
Students’ Lexile measure/range (derived from tests) are
only estimates and subject to measurement error.
Scores may fluctuate up and down over shorter
periods of time, especially for students on either end of
the spectrum.
The increasing Lexile level of text that a student can
successfully read is still the most authentic measure of
growth.
Activity 7
Lexville Student Case Study

State Reading Test Scores:
―
―
―

3rd Grade Standard: 440L
Teressa 3rd Grade Score: Not meeting - Lexile Equivalent: 410L
4th Grade Standard: 565L
Teressa’s 4th Grade PAS scores:
Sept-332L
Observations: Teressa is an energetic and
willing student. Her reading fluency is typical of
her classmates, but in oral reading she seems
to “word call” and often does not comprehend
what she reads. For independent reading, she
chooses books that her more advanced friends
are reading, but often gets up and talks to other
students during reading time. She struggles
when reading our science and social studies
books.
Dec-490L
Teressa
Positive Communication
to Increase Growth
 How would you prepare to talk with this student and
his/her family about Lexiles, reading status, and
growth?
 What key information would you emphasize to the
student? To his/her family?
 How might you work together to establish reading
growth goals and track progress?
 How might you empower the student
and family to encourage
reading growth?
Communicating about Growth
 Explain both the power and limitations of






Lexiles as a measure of reading growth.
Focus on ranges rather than specific numbers.
Avoid referring to “grade levels” if possible.
Use examples of books as reference points.
Provide an honest picture of the student, but also
emphasize “destinations” and potential for
growth.
Use a growth chart to picture growth
graphically.
Expect and celebrate growth for all students.
Using a Reading Growth Chart
 A reading growth chart is a tool that displays
graphically the reading development of
students.
―
A student’s progress in relation to standards


―
Performance standards on tests
“Authentic” standard: reading demands of grade-level
materials
The student’s pattern and rate of Lexile growth
 Sources for reading growth charts:
― Charts built from the Lexile Map
― Charts from classroom assessment programs
― Charts created by a school or teacher.
1600
1400
1200
Adult Text Demands
1000
1000 975
855
800
725
600
400
570
785
1015
855 Student’s PAS Scores
Student’s State Test Scores
TAKS Reading Standards - 05
365
200
0
1s
t
2n
d
3r
d
4t
h
5t
h
6t
h
7t
h
8t
h
9t
h
10
th
E
C xi t
ol
le
ge
Lexile Level - Text & Readers
Charting “Authentic” Growth with Lexiles
Grade Level
Classroom Reading Growth Chart
Teressa
High school math text: 1150L
1200L
USA Today
1000L
5th grade social studies text: 930L
Teressa’s goal: Harry Potter
4th grade science text: 790L
Teressa’s Lexile Range:
4th Grade Spring [585-735L]
800L
State Test: 685L - Exceeds Standard!
4th grade reading series (ave.): 660L
600L
Growth: 275L
Encyclopedia Brown Saves the Day: 570L
4th Grade
Standard: 565L
Dec. SRI: 490L
Teressa’s Lexile Range:
3th Grade Spring [310-460L]
3rd Grade State Test: 410L
Sept. SRI: 332L
400L
Arthur books
Use the On-line Lexile Calculator to:
 Illustrate to parents
how Lexiles are used to
predict reading
comprehension and
match readers to text.
 Talk about a student’s
growth within a school
year - and forecast how
well he or she will
match up with text in
the future.
Classroom
Growth Chart:

Use the Lexile scale as an
organizer.

Record Lexile measures
from tests to show how
“tall” a reader measures at
various points in time.

Record Lexile measures of
books read to show how
“strong” a reader is at
various points in time.

Use multiple measures to
show varied “snapshots” of
growth.
Lexile Classroom Growth Chart for: Gresham High School
Real World Demands
Classroom Texts
1400L
Colle ge Texts (1350+L)
My Reading List
My Lexile Growth
Work placeTe xt (1260L)
Fe de ralTax Form (1260L)
USA Today (1200L)
Military M anuals (1160L)
1200L
CIM Standard (1125L)
11th /12th Gr. Te xts (1090L)
GED Te s t (1060L)
1000L
Harry Potte r (800+L)
800L
The Firm -Grisham (680L)
600L
400L
Activity
Studying Classroom Growth Patterns
 Study the Sample Class Growth Data
from your Lexville sample classroom
(4th, 7th, or 10th grade)
 What patterns of growth do you see
across the three points of Lexile data?
 How do the patterns compare within
the class?
 What are the implications for tracking
and talking about Lexile growth?
Classroom Growth Patterns
Nam e
T1 Lexiles
T2 Lexiles
State Test
Letisha
261
399
443
Jose
298
264
407
Teressa
332
490
685
Ashley
356
536
597
Tania
387
759
705
Jessica
405
380
458
Trav is
437
420
613
Karen
456
600
613
Kahlid
460
454
654
Maria
496
626
520
Jon
505
585
767
Cry stal
619
645
767
Jesse
627
680
808
Veronica
629
552
644
Haley
651
703
736
Lev i
673
636
685
Ming
681
785
788
Heidi
688
777
916
Bry ce
716
778
916
Alberto
732
845
1045
Leslie
751
958
1004
Brian
752
765
865
Jordy n
760
736
824
Dav id
795
967
865
Nicholas
833
1020
1142
Hanna
837
1049
1004
Vladimir
929
988
1086
Peter
973
1110
1004
Caitlin
1018
1077
1004
623
710
778
Lexile Ave.
Consistent gains T1 to T2 to
State Test
17
Initial drop, but overall gains
from T1 to State Test
7
No significant change
1
Overall gains, but drop from
T2 to State Test
4
Initial gains, but overall drop
T1 to State Test
1
Ave. Gains T1 to T2 = 87L
Ave. Gains T2 to ST = 68L
Ave. Gains T1 to ST = 155L
Typical Lexile Growth
Source: Achieve 3000
Grade Level
Typical Growth
in One Year
Time Necessary to
Observe a “True”
Difference
3rd-5th
100L
37 weeks
6th-7th
70L
55 weeks
8th-9th
50L
110 weeks
10th-12th
25L
110 weeks
Stepping on the Scale
 Like a person’s
weight,
measurements of
reading growth can
fluctuate based on
many factors.
 Schools, students,
and parents should
use multiple Lexile
measures to monitor
growth over time.
Activity 3
Charting Growth in Your Classroom
 How might you create a growth chart
for your classroom?
―
―
Use the Lexile template?
Create your own chart?
 What “reference” points might you use
for all students (text scores, texts)?
 How might you involve students in
monitoring their own growth as
readers?
Using Lexile Resources
to Support and Differentiate
Instruction
Big Idea:
Lexiles help teachers respond to students’ needs by…
Matching Readiness and Content
Lexiles can empower…
 Teachers:
―
―
―
by helping them know more about their
students
by informing their efforts to differentiate
instruction
by providing access to text resources that
“match” their students
 Students:
―
―
by connecting them to “accessible” text
by allowing them to measure and celebrate
their own growth as readers
 Families:
―
by making it possible for them to participate
in their students’ reading development
Differentiated Instruction:
Teacher Decision Making
What am I
teaching ?
Whom am I
teaching ?
How will I
teach ?
What teachers need…
 Classroom reports of their students’ Lexile scores
―
Fall (to profile, group, and match text)
―
Spring (to chart and celebrate growth)
 Lexile levels for their textbooks and books in their
classrooms and library
 Access to the Internet and to resources such as
lexile.com, online databases, and other search tools
 Opportunities to collaborate and develop tiered
reading/resource lists
…and need to know
How to:
 Use Lexiles as a reading measurement system
 Profile students, predict comprehension, and
match readers to text
 Access and use online resources
 Develop and use tiered reading/resource lists
to support differentiation
 Understand, chart, and explain patterns of
Lexile growth
What is Differentiated Instruction?
Carol Ann Tomlinson’s Model (1999)
A teacher's response to learners' needs
Teachers can differentiate ...
Content
Product
Process
According to students'...
Readiness
Interests
Learning Profiles
Lexiles and Differentiation
Diagnosing and Planning Instruction
 Profiling: How does what I am teaching
(text Lexile measure) match my students’
Lexile measures?
 Assessing Readiness: What do I know or
can I learn about my students’ readiness
for learning?
 Assessing Interest: How can I learn
about my students’ interests and combine
this with Lexile levels?
Lexiles And Differentiation
Finding Appropriate (Matched) Text
 Matching Text: How can I supplement my
teaching materials to reach more of my
students at their Lexile level?
―
―
―
Develop tiered book lists: Use the Lexile Book Database,
your school/community library, and on-line resources to
find relevant books at varied Lexile levels.
Develop tiered resource lists: Use online resources and
the Lexile Analyzer to find supplementary materials to
address topics or themes you are teaching.
Empower students and families to use Lexile resources
to find materials that match their Lexile levels and
interests.
Activity 2
Using Lexile Tools to Build a
Tiered Reading/Resource List
1.
2.
3.
Identify a theme or topic.
Review the text range targets from your classroom
profile.
Use Internet search engines to find interesting,
relevant text that matches your text range targets:
―
―
―
―
4.
5.
Lexile Book Database
Lexiled Resource Databases (EBSCO, ProQuest)
Teacher Search Tools (NetTrekker)
Google (or other search engines)
Use the Lexile Analyzer to measure the level of any
text not already Lexiled.
Build a student web quest worksheet.
Activity
Building a Webquest Worksheet
Lexiled Resource List/Webquest for:

___________
_______________________________
Lexiles
Title (and web link)
Notes




Use the Internet to find
resources at targeted Lexile
levels.
Record resource information
in the worksheet.
Build in links to resource web
sites.
Sort by Lexile levels?
Email worksheet to students.
Immigration Unit: 7th Grade
Social Studies
Lexiled Resource List/Webquest for:
Immigration: Com ing to America
Lexiles
460
Title (and web link)
A Piece of Home
Notes
Immigration story about a Russian boy
and his family .
Levitin, Sonia, 1996, Dial Books
710
El lis Island
Jacobs, Will iam Jay, 1990, Atheneum
Books
BOOKS
800
A CoalminerÕ
s Bride: The Diary
of Anetka Kaminski
Bartoletti, Susan Campbell, 2000,
Scholastic
900
Who Be longs Here: An American
StoryKnight, Margy Burns, 1993,
Tilbury House Publ is hers
1100
The New AmericansBrow nstone,
David M. and Irene M. Franck, 2002,
Grolier
1210
American Gu lag: Inside US
Immigration Pr isonsDow, Mark,
2004, U. of California Press
ARTICLES
370
DEAR AMER ICA SO FAR FRO M
HOME.
Scholastic Action; 9/1/2003, Vol. 27
Issue 1, p8-13
380
Ships of Hope .
Junior Scholastic; 03/08/99, Vol. 101
Issue 14, p14
Traces the history of Ellis Island and
immigration to America and describes
the experiences of immigrants arriv ing
in 1907.
Diary acc ount of 13 y r. old Ane tka,
lif e in Pol and in 1896 , immigration
to Americ a, marriag e to a coal
miner, wid owhood , and happin ess in
f inal ly f indi ng her true lov e.
Describ es the new lif e of Nary , a
Cabodian ref ugee, in Americ a, as
well as his encount ers with
preju dic e. Inc lud es some gen eral
history of U.S. immigration .
Looks at im migration in early
Americ a, as well as the im migrants
themselves; immigrants from Ireland,
Britain, Canada , Germany , China,
Scandi nav ia, as well as Jewish
im migrants.
An exam ina tion of the stories of
men, women, and c hil dren detained
inde finitely by US immigration
of fic ia ls.
Presents the play"Dear America: So
Far From Home," which deals about
the lif e of a teenage immigrant f rom
Ireland during the 19th century.
Presents a short story focused on the
history of story of v arious peoples who
immigrated to the United States at the
turn of the 20th century .
Immigration Unit: 7th Grade
Social Studies
500
WHERE IN THE WORLD DID WE
COME FRO M?
Appleseeds; Apr2006, Vol. 8 Issue 8,
p2-3, 2p, 2 maps
790
Immi gra ti onNation
Scholastic News -- Edition 4, 5/8/2006,
Vol. 68 Issue 24, p5
870
Com ing to Am e rica
ARTICLES & WEBSITES
Scholastic News -- Edition 5/6;
2/6/2006, Vol. 74 Issue 15, p4-5
940
Borde r Battles
Scholastic News -- Edition 5/6;
4/17/2006, Vol. 74 Issue 22, p2-2
960
Ellis Is land
Let's Take a Look at New York; 2006,
p1-3, 3p
970
Port of Entry: Immigration
Library of Congress
Immigrant Stories
1090
Taking Matters into Their Own
Hands
Business Week, 5/1/2006 Issue
3982, p64, 2p
1130
US I mmigration: 1880-1914
Scholastic Research Starters
The article presents information on
immigrants who came f rom dif f ere nt
countries and settled in the United
States.
The article presents background
inf ormation on the history of
immigration in the U.S. The country 's
f irst settlers were European immigrants
who came to the country o
t escape
religious discrimination.
The article looks at illegal immigration
in the U.S. It relates the v iews of
Manuel Martinez, an illegal immigrant,
on the opportunities in the U.S. An
estimated number of illegal immigrants
in the U.S. is cited. An ov erv iew o
f
sev eral arguments concerning illegal
immigrants in the U.S. is presented.
The article reports on the massiv e
protests and heated debate caused by
proposals to toughen illegal
immigration laws in the U.S., as of
April 2006.
This article discussesEllis Island,
located in New Y ork Harbor. In 1890,
Ellis Island was chosen as the site f or
processing all immigrants entering the
country through the Port of New Y ork.
Port of Entry: Immigration, a webbased activity, prov ides an engaging,
interactiv eresource to help students
learn through use of primary sources.
Immigrant Stories are first-person
prof iles of f ive immigrants f rom v aried
cultural backgrounds.
This article discusses U.S. state
gov ernment responses ot illegal
immigration. Bills in ov er thirty states
seek restrictions on employ ers of
illegal immigrants.
This website serv es as the starting
point for web research into a v ariety of
topics related to immigration into the
th
US in the early 20 century.
Making a Difference with Lexiles
Appropriate Text: A Tiered Resource List
Lexiled Resource List for: Native American Thematic Unit (4th-5th grade)




Class: 4th or 5th grade
Lexile range: 500L-1000L
Topic: Native Americans
Teacher Resources:
NetTrekker, Lexile
Analyzer
Text Type
Play
Title (and web hyperlink)
Author
Lexiles
Native American Play
(written for 2nd graders)
Brian Beckenstein
(teacher)
540L
Learn About Native Americans
Sherry Ziolkowski
780L
Interactive
website
w/quizzes
“Woodland People”
Legend
Iktomi’s Blanket
Legend retold by
Indian Legend from U. Virginia electronic
Itkala-sa (1901)
790L
Archives
Museum
Website
At Home in the Heartland Online
At Home on the Frendh Frontier: 17001800
“Native Americans”
970L
A Tiered Reading
List for HS Science

Class: 9th grade Integrated
Lexiled Resource Search: “Stem Cell Research”
URL
Type
Educational
Materials
Lexile range: 700-1320+
 Topic: Stem Cell Research
 Teacher Resources: EBSCO,
Google, Lexile Analyzer

Junior
Scholastic
Article
Stem Cells: Medical
Miracle--Moral Dilemma
USA Today
Article
Reagan: 'Cast a vote' for
stem-cell research
Author
Lexiles
Genetic Science
Learning Center,
University of Utah
810
Susan McCabe
970
Junior Scholastic;
10/1/2001, Vol. 104 Issue
3, p8
Susan Page
1100L
Stanley E. Lazic,
Roger A. Barker
1170L
George W. Bush
1230L
Anne Applebaum
1270L
USA Today, Wed Jul 28,
8:45 AM ET
Scientific
Journal
Abstract
The Future of Cell-Based
Transplantation Therapies
for Neurodegenerative
Disorders
Journal of Hematotherapy
& Stem Cell Research
Speech
Activities: Web Quest, article
jigsaw, concept mapping (graphic
organizer)
What are some issues In
stem cell research?
What does stem cell
research mean in my
world?
Science

Title
Remarks by the President
on Stem Cell Research
The Bush Ranch,
Crawford, Texas
Editorial
Stem Cell Stumping
Washington Post
Wednesday, August 4,
2004
Scientific
Abstract
Stem Cell Therapy for the
Heart: Hope and
Controversy
The Lancet
1400L
Scientific
Position
Paper
Stem Cell Research and
Applications: Findings and
Recommendations
The American
Association for the
Advancement of
Science and Institute
for Civil Society
1560L
November 1999
Lexiles And Differentiation
Grouping
 Grouping: How can I organize learning
(grouping) based on what I know about my
materials, students, and their readiness?
―
―
―
Ability groups: Use Lexile and pre-test information to
put students in ability-based groups some of the time.
Interest groups: Jigsaw (reorganize) students in crossLexile heterogeneous groups some of the time.
Experts: Organize students and materials so that all
students are “experts” in some area, and the entire
group/class depends on their expertise.
Accessing Lexile Resources
Available to Teachers
www.Lexile.com
Big Idea:
Lexile resources support teachers in…
Matching Reader Ability
and Text Difficulty
Using All the Tools in the
Toolbox
 Teachers, students, and
parents can access many
free Lexile resources
through the Internet
 When teachers, students,
and parents can use
Lexile resources and
tools strategically and
reflectively, they are
empowered
Lexiling Your Library
 Web site—www.Lexile.com
(http://educators.lexile.com)
- Free
- Continuously updated
 Library Software Services
- Follett Software Company’s Find-a-Book Service
- Update MARC Record Tag 521
- Similar services also available through Alexandria
and Sagebrush
Use the On-line Lexile Calculator to:
 Estimate the forecasted
reading-comprehension
rate for a student or class
on a grade-level “book
bag”
 Estimate what reading
ability a student needs to
achieve a targeted
reading-comprehension
rate
Use the Lexile Book Database to:
 Determine the Lexile
measure of a book
(using title, author, or
ISBN#)
 Find books related to
a topic or theme in a
targeted Lexile range
through a Keyword
Search
Use the Lexile Analyzer to:
 Determine the
readability level of:
―
―
―
Documents saved as text
(.txt) files
Teacher-prepared
materials
Scanned documents
(translated to text with
optical character recognition OCR - software)
―
Text copied from the
Internet
Use Lexile Reading Pathfinders to:
 Find the Lexile levels
and range for a reading
series (e.g., Nancy Drew)
 Find a pre-established
set of books on a topic or
theme with an identified
Lexile range
700L Big-Air Snowboarding, by McKenna, Anne T.
Extreme Sports
Describes the history, equipment, techniques, and
safety measures of Big-Air Snowboarding.
740L Extreme Snowboarding, by Ryan, Pat
Extreme Sports
Follow the history of Snowboarding, from its
invention as a little girl's toy, to the daredevil sport of
today.
740L Extreme Wakeboarding, by McKenna, Anne T.
Extreme Sports
Describes the history, equipment, and safety
measures of Extreme Wakeboarding.
770L Snow Mountain Biking, by Glaser, Jason
Extreme Sports
Describes the history, equipment, and contemporary
practice of Snow Mountain Biking.
780L Bungee Jumping, by Glaser, Jason
Extreme Sports
Discusses the history, stunts, competitions,
equipment, and safety measures of Bungee Jumping.
800L Aggressive In-Line kating, by McKenna, Anne
T.
Extreme Sports
Describes the history, equipment, and safety
measures of Aggressive Style In-Line Skating.
Use Lexile Power Vocabulary™ to:
 Find vocabulary
development resources,
games, and tests that
have been developed for
80+ Lexiled books
―
―
Downloadable and printable
in PDF format
Titles and levels range from
Amos and Boris
to Heart of Darkness (410L to
1190L)
Lexiled Classroom Resources
Available by Subscription
Use Internet databases (EBSCO, Proquest) to:
 Find on-line periodical articles and
instructional resources by Lexile measure
 Build tiered supplemental reading lists
on content topics (to support
differentiated instruction)
 Support student web-quest activities
Use NetTrekker Search Engines to:
 Search for teacher-reviewed websites and on-
line resources related to:
―
―
―
Content areas
Topics and themes
Famous persons
 Search by readability and Lexile levels and/or
determine levels for relevant resources
Use Other Lexile Partner Resources
 Scholastic SRI, Reading Counts, Read 180, and
book catalogs: Reading improvement products
based on Lexiles
 EdGate Total Reader: Content reading passages
used to assess students’ Lexile levels
 Achieve 3000 KidBiz and TeenBiz: Online
student periodicals that adapt to students’
Lexile levels
The Scholastic Reading Inventory
QuickTime™ and a
TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
 SRI uses modified
Cloze item format
 Computer adaptive
 Student selects
interest areas
 Generates Lexiled
reading lists, letters,
growth reports
Scholastic Reading Counts
Quick Time™ a nd a
TIFF ( Un co mpr es sed ) d eco mp res so r
ar e n eed ed to s ee this pi ctu re.
 Reading motivation




program (like AR)
Books leveled by Lexiles
Computer-generated
quizzes
SRI can be integrated
Reports progress in
Lexiles
Scholastic Read 180
QuickTime™ and a
TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see t his picture.
 Intervention based on
Lexile theory
 Matches texts to readers
based on Lexiles and
interests
 Uses multi-media to
build interest and
background
 Instructional model
translates to regular
classroom
Teachers Workshop:
Using Lexile Resources
TEACHERS WORKSHOP (Self-directed Follow Up Act ivities)
Le arn About:
Your Understanding of
Lexiles
Exploratory Activitie s
1. Identify an audience f or whom you might want to explain Lexiles and the
Lexile Framework (e.g., y our students, colleagues, parents). W rite a short
(125+ word) explanation that will help them understand what y ou have
learned about Lexiles. Save y our explanation as a text (txt) flei on y our
desktop (you may also wan
t to email it to y ourself).
You will use this file in activity 4 below to answer the question: ŅHow
well do my communications match my audience?Ó
Forecasting Your
ClassÕs Comprehension
of Grade-level Texts
www.lexile.c om
Lexile Calc ul ator
Identifying Books for a
Thematic Unit
Lexile Book Database
2. From the Lexile website, click on the ŅEducatorsÓsection, then the ŅToolsÓ
tab and then the ŅLexil
e CalculatorÓlink on the left side of the page. After
rev iewing the instructions, click onŅAccess the Lexile Calculator.Ó Fo
llow
the steps, selectin g y our grade level and your classÕ
s Lexile range.
How well do your studentsÕpredicted abilities match with typical texts
at your grade level? What are the implications for your teaching?
3. From the lexile .com ŅToolsÓpage, click on the ŅLexile Book DatabaseÓlink
on the lef t side of the page, then on the ŅBook Search tabÓin the mid dle of
the Book Database page. Scroll down to the Keyword Search, and enter a
Lexile range that matches either your classÕ
s full range or the range of one
of your Lexile groups orindiv idual students. Enter a word(s) that match the
topic or theme y ouwill be addressing in y our class, then click on the
ŅSearchÓ
button.
W hat potential Lexiled resources do you find? How might you go
about getting selected books into your classroom?
Explore other searches (by title, by SBN,
I
Textbook Search, Adv ance d
Search) f rom this page.
Determining the Lexile
Lev el of Teacherdev eloped M aterials
Lexile Analyzer
4. From the lexile .com ŅToolsÓpage, click on the ŅLexile Analy zerÓlink on the
left side of the page. Click on the ŅRe
g ister to use the Analy zerÓlink (unless
y ou have already registered) and fill out the registr ation f orm to receive an
initial password instantly v a
i email. Af ter y ou have receiv ed y our password,
Ņsign in
Óto the Analy zer. To analy ze a f ile f ro m y ourcomputer, click on the
ŅChooseFileÓbutton and then search f or a text only (.txt) f ile (i.e., the Lexile
Introduction f lie y ou created in Activity #1). Af ter selecting a file (its name
should show up on the Analy zer page) click on the ŅAnaly zeÓbutton, and
presto! y ou will receive Lexile information about y our file. (Note: Copy and
paste this inf ormation into your original file f or future access.)
At what level did you write your explanation? How does that match the
anticipated level of your audience? What are the implications?
Alternate activity: Identify an interesting resource f ile from the Internet.
Highlight and copy the text f ro m the site. Paste the text into a new Word
f ile , and save it in a Ņtext onlyÓ(.txt) f ormat. Analy ze the file, then copy the
Lexile information into the f lie f or uf ture ref erence.
Go to:
Lexile Professional
Development
Click on “ Lexile Full-day”
Download:
“Teachers’ Workshop
Follow-up Activities
Michelle - 7th Grade Reading/LA






Profiled all 7th grade reading classes for Lexile text matching provided scores to students
Taught students (and parents) about Lexiles and lexile.com
resources
Tracked reading growth with Lexile scores
Organized curriculum (Lit anthology), independent reading
logs, and research assignments around Lexiles
Taught reading strategies in relation to matched text
Sent home newsletters and end-of-year growth summaries
focused on Lexiles
60% of students exceeded standards;
average growth of 160L!
Debbie - High School Health

Existing Context: A problem-based environmental health unit
for 9th grade students
―
―
―
―
Given a problem (e.g., asbestos, nuclear testing) and a community
(e.g., a Canadian mountain town, a Marshall Island village)
Research the environmental health problem
Develop a community site map
Produce a paper and group media presentation
NEW: Organized materials/topics by Lexile level and students
by Lexile scores (to facilitate text matching)
 NEW: Assigned students to find additional resources on their
topic at their Lexile level (using EBSCO)

All students successfully completed the project
(a first)!
Contact Information
 1.888.LEXILES
(1.888.539.4537)
 www.Lexile.com
 profdev@lexile.com
 rick_dills@gbsd.gresham.k12.or.us