The Lexile FrameworkThe Lexile Framework®® for for ReadingReading

““Matching readers to text”Matching readers to text”A Presentation for Librarians and EducatorsA Presentation for Librarians and Educators

by Lorena Wilderby Lorena WilderLibrary Media TeacherLibrary Media Teacher

Creekside Middle SchoolCreekside Middle School1330 Creekside Drive1330 Creekside DriveMonument, CO 80132Monument, CO 80132

November 2006November 2006

--The Lexile Framework--The Lexile Framework®® for Reading for Reading MetraMetrics, Inc.MetraMetrics, Inc.

What are Lexiles?What are Lexiles?

““Scientific approach to reading and text Scientific approach to reading and text measurement”measurement”

““Matches Matches reader abilityreader ability and and text difficultytext difficulty,, allowing individualized monitoring of allowing individualized monitoring of progress.”progress.”

Research shows improves reading skillsResearch shows improves reading skills

MetraMetrics website.

Who developed Lexiles?Who developed Lexiles?

Program developed in 1984 in with a grant Program developed in 1984 in with a grant from National Institute of Child Health and from National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)Human Development (NICHD)

Gary L. Williamson, Ph.D., educational Gary L. Williamson, Ph.D., educational researcher associated with the University researcher associated with the University of North Carolina.of North Carolina.– Founding member of Lexile research teamFounding member of Lexile research team– Co-founder of MetaMetrics, Inc.Co-founder of MetaMetrics, Inc.

Who developed Lexiles?Who developed Lexiles?

MetraMetrics, Inc.MetraMetrics, Inc.– a for-profit company.a for-profit company.– run by a team of “psychometricians”run by a team of “psychometricians”– has about 50 employeeshas about 50 employees– charges publishers for lexile information on charges publishers for lexile information on

text documentstext documents– test publishers pay royalties when students test publishers pay royalties when students

take lexile teststake lexile tests

How do Lexiles work? How do Lexiles work?

2 parts to Lexiles: 2 parts to Lexiles:

Lexile Lexile measuremeasure

Lexile Lexile scalescale

How do Lexiles work?How do Lexiles work?

LexileLexile measure (the TEXT): measure (the TEXT):

Reading ability or text difficulty score Reading ability or text difficulty score followed by an “L” (e.g. “850L”)followed by an “L” (e.g. “850L”)

Measures how difficult a text is to Measures how difficult a text is to comprehend:comprehend:

semantic difficulty semantic difficulty ((word frequencyword frequency))

syntactic complexity syntactic complexity ((sentence lengthsentence length))

MetraMetrics website.

How do Lexiles workHow do Lexiles work

Lexile scale (the READER): Lexile scale (the READER):

Developmental scale for reading Developmental scale for reading

RangeRange from below 200L (beginning-reader from below 200L (beginning-reader material) to above 1700L (advanced text).material) to above 1700L (advanced text).

MetraMetrics website.

How does Lexile compare to How does Lexile compare to grade level?grade level?

Lexile scores in a Lexile scores in a rangerange of numbers of numbers

More accurate than grade levelMore accurate than grade level

Compare to “shoe size”Compare to “shoe size”

What Lexile does NOT measure:What Lexile does NOT measure:

Content - Content - – complexity of plotcomplexity of plot– complexity of character(s)complexity of character(s)

Quality - Quality - – ““good” booksgood” books– books to “hook” reluctant readersbooks to “hook” reluctant readers

Developmental suitability Developmental suitability – Age-appropriatenessAge-appropriateness– Prior knowledge required for comprehensionPrior knowledge required for comprehension

How do we measure the How do we measure the students?students?

Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA)’s Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA)’s Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) testing Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) testing program.program.– ““nonprofit assessment organization that provides testing nonprofit assessment organization that provides testing

to more than 1,900 U.S. schools” to more than 1,900 U.S. schools”

Pearson’s PASeriesPearson’s PASeries®® (Progress Assessment (Progress Assessment SeriesSeries® ® – ““first formative assessment product line designed to first formative assessment product line designed to

forecast student growth toward state performance forecast student growth toward state performance standards”standards”

Scholastic Reading Inventory (SRI)Scholastic Reading Inventory (SRI)– ““research-based, computer-adaptive reading assessment … that research-based, computer-adaptive reading assessment … that

measures students’ level of reading comprehension and reports it measures students’ level of reading comprehension and reports it using the Lexile Framework® for Reading” using the Lexile Framework® for Reading”

Which books are lexiled?Which books are lexiled?

““Over 450 publishers Lexile their titles”Over 450 publishers Lexile their titles”

““Tens of thousands of books”Tens of thousands of books”

““Tens of millions of newspaper & Tens of millions of newspaper & magazine articles.”magazine articles.”

MetraMetrics website.

How can you find these books?How can you find these books?

Metametric’s website: Metametric’s website: http://www.lexile.com

EBSCO & ProQuest (online subscription EBSCO & ProQuest (online subscription databases)databases)

NoveList NoveList (online subscription database)(online subscription database)

Most Most publicpublic libraries do not show lexiles in libraries do not show lexiles in OPAC system. OPAC system.

How can you find these books?How can you find these books?

Many Many schoolschool library management systems library management systems include Lexile as an option.include Lexile as an option.

Example: about one-half of Creekside Example: about one-half of Creekside Library Media Center’s total collection is Library Media Center’s total collection is lexiled:lexiled:– 80% of fiction80% of fiction– 30% of biography30% of biography– 25% of other nonfiction25% of other nonfiction

Some Lexile observations:Some Lexile observations:

Nonfiction tends to score higher than Nonfiction tends to score higher than fiction.fiction.

Most middle school Most middle school fictionfiction books fall in the books fall in the 600L to 1000L range.600L to 1000L range.

Fantasy fiction tends to score highFantasy fiction tends to score high

Mystery fiction tends to score lowMystery fiction tends to score low

More Lexile observations:More Lexile observations:

Most authors tend to be consistent in their Most authors tend to be consistent in their lexile scoringlexile scoring

No apparent correlation between book No apparent correlation between book length and lexile score.length and lexile score.

Not necessarily a correlation between Not necessarily a correlation between target audience and lexile score.target audience and lexile score.

And now for a look at not-so-And now for a look at not-so-random sample of “middle school” random sample of “middle school” books and how they rank in the books and how they rank in the lexile ratings…lexile ratings…

And Then There Were None (Christie) And Then There Were None (Christie) 88 AA 570570

Fever, 1793 (Anderson, Laurie Halse)Fever, 1793 (Anderson, Laurie Halse) 580580

Artemis Fowl (Colfer) Artemis Fowl (Colfer) 600600

Timeline (Crichton) Timeline (Crichton) AA 620620

Cirque du Freak series (Shan) (avg)Cirque du Freak series (Shan) (avg) 710710

Eragon (Paolini)Eragon (Paolini) 710710

The Giver (Lowry) The Giver (Lowry) 77 760760

Uglies (Westerfeld) Uglies (Westerfeld) YAYA 770770

Tuck Everlasting (Babbitt) Tuck Everlasting (Babbitt) 66 770770

Inkheart (Funke)Inkheart (Funke) 780780

A Child Called It (Pelzer) A Child Called It (Pelzer) YAYA 850850

The Da Vinci Code (Brown) The Da Vinci Code (Brown) AA 850850

Warriors series (Hunter) (avg)Warriors series (Hunter) (avg) 850850

Warriors series (Hunter) (avg) Warriors series (Hunter) (avg) 850850

Fellowship of the Ring (Tolkien) Fellowship of the Ring (Tolkien) UGUG 860860

Redwall seris (Jacques) (avg)Redwall seris (Jacques) (avg) 860860

Hunt for Red October (Clancy) Hunt for Red October (Clancy) AA 870870

Stephen King books (avg 5) Stephen King books (avg 5) AA 895895

Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key (Gantos)Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key (Gantos) 970970

Eldest (Paolini)Eldest (Paolini) 970970

Hatchet (Paulsen) Hatchet (Paulsen) 66 10201020

Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince (Rowling)(Rowling) 10301030

Wizard of Oz books (Baum) (avg 7 titles)Wizard of Oz books (Baum) (avg 7 titles) 10601060

Diary of a Young Girl (Anne Frank) Diary of a Young Girl (Anne Frank) 88 10801080

Series of Unfortunate Events (Snicket) (avg)Series of Unfortunate Events (Snicket) (avg) 10901090

Never Cry Wolf (Mowatt) Never Cry Wolf (Mowatt) A A 77 13301330

ConclusionsConclusions

Don’t rely on lexile stickers (numbered or Don’t rely on lexile stickers (numbered or color-coded) placed on the bookscolor-coded) placed on the books

Teach students how to use OPAC or Teach students how to use OPAC or programs such as NoveList to search for programs such as NoveList to search for books in lexile range.books in lexile range.

Respect confidentialityRespect confidentiality

And remember that…And remember that…

Lexile is a good measuring tool, but it is just Lexile is a good measuring tool, but it is just oneone factor in great book selection! factor in great book selection!

Mystery

Fantasy

“Boy” books

Middle Grades

Young Adult

Biography

Quality literature

InterestRecommendations

Awards

References & Suggested ReadingReferences & Suggested ReadingThe Lexile FrameworkThe Lexile Framework®® for Reading for Reading. MetaMetrics. <http://lexile.com>. . MetaMetrics. <http://lexile.com>.

"Andrew Kyngdon Joins Durham-Based MetaMetrics Inc. as Senior "Andrew Kyngdon Joins Durham-Based MetaMetrics Inc. as Senior Research Scientist." Research Scientist." dBusinessNews: Daily Business News dBusinessNews: Daily Business News Delivered to Your DesktopDelivered to Your Desktop. 24 Oct 2006. dBusinessNews. 6 Nov . 24 Oct 2006. dBusinessNews. 6 Nov 2006 <http://www.dbusinessnews.com/shownews.php?2006 <http://www.dbusinessnews.com/shownews.php?newsid=96277&type_news=past>. newsid=96277&type_news=past>.

Ezarik, Melissa. "Text Demands on Students Don't Meet Life's Ezarik, Melissa. "Text Demands on Students Don't Meet Life's Demands." Demands." Curriculum UpdateCurriculum Update June 2005. June 2005.

Glick, Andrea, and Renee Olson. "Company Touts System to Match Glick, Andrea, and Renee Olson. "Company Touts System to Match Students and Books." Students and Books." School Library JournalSchool Library Journal Sep 1998: 94. Sep 1998: 94.

Jones, Chip. “Measure of Difficulty." Jones, Chip. “Measure of Difficulty." Richmond Times-DispatchRichmond Times-Dispatch 4 May 4 May 2006. 2006.

Reid, Calvin. "Lexile Ratings Catch On." Reid, Calvin. "Lexile Ratings Catch On." Publishers WeeklyPublishers Weekly 6 Sep 6 Sep 2004: 8.2004: 8.