What is a Lexile® Measure?
A Lexile measure is a valuable piece of information about either an individual's reading ability or the difficulty of a text, like a book or magazine article. The Lexile measure is shown as a number with an "L" after it — 880L is 880 Lexile. A student gets his/her Lexile reader measure from a reading test or program. For example, if a student receives an 880L on her end-of-grade reading test, she is an 880 Lexile reader. Higher Lexile measures represent a higher level of reading ability. A Lexile reader measure can range from below 200L for beginning readers to above 1600L for advanced readers. Readers who score at or below 0L receive a BR for Beginning Reader.
A book, article or piece of text gets a Lexile text measure when it's analyzed by MetaMetrics. For example, the first "Harry Potter" book measures 880L, so it's called an 880 Lexile book. A Lexile text measure is based on two strong predictors of how difficult a text is to comprehend: word frequency and sentence length. Many other factors affect the relationship between a reader and a book, including its content, the age and interests of the reader, and the design of the actual book. The Lexile text measure is a good starting point in the book-selection process, with these other factors then being considered. Lexile text measures are rounded to the nearest 10L. Text measures at or below 0L are reported as BR for Beginning Reader.
Gary L. Williamson measured text complexity using The Lexile Framework for Reading. The Lexile Framework is unique from the other readability formulas mentioned in Common Core in that it measures both text complexity and reader ability on the same developmental scale. Lexile measures are the most widely used reading metric because they allow for students to be matched with materials that provide the right level of challenge for their ability and goals.
Additional research has shown that the texts required for many postsecondary pursuits fall within a Lexile range of 1200L to 1400L, while the text complexity of typical high school textbooks for grades 11 and 12 is about 1050L to 1165L. This research provides valuable insight into the apparent disconnect when high school graduates encounter college and career texts. To put this gap in perspective, a 250L difference between reader ability and text complexity can cause a drop from 75-percent comprehension to 50-percent comprehension. This means that high school seniors who can successfully read twelfth-grade texts may enter college or the workplace several months later and encounter texts that result in less than 50-percent comprehension.
The Common Core Standards aim to ensure that all students are "on track" to be both college and career ready. Research shows that high school graduation no longer guarantees that students are ready for the postsecondary challenges that await them. While the reading demands of college, the workforce and life in general have remained consistent or increased over time, K-12 texts and reading tasks have decreased in complexity. The result is a significant gap between many students' reading abilities and the reading demands they will likely encounter after graduation.
“The Common Core State Standards Initiative offers the following overlapping Lexile bands (or Lexile ranges**, as defined by Common Core) to place texts in the following text complexity grade bands. According to the Common Core Standards, qualitative scales of text complexity should be anchored at one end by descriptions of texts representative of those required in typical first-year credit-bearing college courses and in workforce training programs. Similarly, quantitative measures should identify the college- and career-ready reading level as one endpoint of the scale. All students should be reading at the college and career readiness level by no later than the end of high school.”
Find the Lexile Level of your Text:
1.) Look at the top right hand corner (gray area). Put the exact name of your text in the box. click on “Advanced Search.”
2.) Again put exact title in Title box. You do not need to complete all boxes for most texts. Click “search” at bottom.
3.) Find your exact text. (Remember, some texts may have been published in several forms – “young reader edition,” abridged,
etc. You need to look at which edition you are reading.) Under your text will be the Lexile number. Recently published texts
may not yet be added to the master list.
Lexile Scores of Some Common Texts :
Profiles in Courage – 1410LThe Scarlet Letter – 1340L
Sold – 820L
Three Cups of Tea – 1220L
The Great Gatsby – 1070L
The Grapes of Wrath – 680L
Tuesdays With Morrie – 830L / The Cat in the Hat - 260L
Clifford the Big Red Dog - 330L
Twilight (novel) - 720L
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (novel)- 880L
Gone with the Wind - 1100L
Pride and Prejudice – 1100L
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow – 1440L / Gone With the Wind – 1100 L
Crime and Punishment - 850L
Catch-22 – 1140L
The Invisible Man – 980L
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland – 980L
Kite Runner – 850L
To Kill a Mockingbird – 870L
The Importance of Reading
Educational researchers have found that there is a strong correlation between reading and academic success.* In other words, a student who is a good reader is more likely to do well in school and pass exams than a student who is a weak reader. Good readers can understand the individual sentences and the organizational structure of a piece of writing. They can comprehend ideas, follow arguments, and detect implications. They know most of the words in the text already, but they can also determine the meaning of many of the unfamiliar words from the context - failing this, they can use their dictionary effectively to do so. In summary, good readers can extract from the writing what is important for the particular task they are employed in. And they can do it quickly! Educational researchers have also found a strong correlation between reading and vocabulary knowledge. In other words, students who have a large vocabulary are usually good readers. This is not very surprising, since the best way to acquire a large vocabulary is to read extensively, and if you read extensively you are likely to be or become a good reader!
Six Ways to Improve SAT and ACT Scores: Reading, English and Writing
Vocabulary, reading comprehension, grammar and usage are core components of the SAT and ACT college entrance exams.
SAT Critical Reading tests reading comprehension skills, and includes reading passages and sentence completions. SAT Writing tests grammar, usage and word choice, and includes multiple-choice questions on identifying sentence errors and improving grammar and usage. ACT Reading tests comprehension and understanding vocabulary in context. ACT English tests language usage and mechanics (e.g. punctuation, grammar, verb agreement, word / phrase replacement, sentence structure) as well as rhetorical skills (e.g. identifying author’s purpose and tone; choosing appropriate sentences and word placement, improving style and clarity.) Students with robust vocabularies, strong reading skills and good command of the English language are better able to quickly read and comprehend material in the various sections and correctly respond to questions and prompts. Most students, even avid readers, have the ability to improve in these areas with some focused study and preparation. Studying SAT/ACT word lists and reading challenging material, over a period of weeks or months, can help you build vocabulary, improve reading comprehension and boost performance on college entrance exams.Whether you have three weeks, three months or three years to prepare, make the most of the time you have. Consider these opportunities to prepare and improve your scores.
(1.) READ
The more you read challenging material, the faster you’ll read, and the better you will comprehend. These skills will help you on the SAT Critical Reading and ACT Reading tests.Magazines, such as The Economist, National Geographic, The New Yorker and Foreign Affairs, written at a higher level of difficulty than most periodicals, will enhance your vocabulary and improve your critical reading skills. The New York Times and Wall Street Journal also provide challenging reading.When you come across a word that you don’t know, look it up. A good small dictionary can be a great investment in your success.
(2.) BUILD YOUR VOCABULARY
Vocabulary is a key success factor for both the SAT and ACT. Although the exams do not directly test vocabulary, familiarity with a large number of words that frequently appear on the SAT and ACT can help you score well on the reading comprehension, sentence structure analysis and writing sections. There are a variety of vocabulary-building tools including word lists and flash cards. Explore some of the options and choose the right program for you. Most importantly, set a realistic goal and achieve it, whether it’s ten words each week, or fifty!
(3.) REFRESH YOUR GRAMMAR
Many students complain that they forgot what grammar they learned. With some study, students can master what they need to know for entrance exams.
(4.) STUDY ETYMOLOGY
When you study etymology, you learn about the origin of words and how related words share a common root. Being able to identify a word’s root, or roots, can help you understand its meaning. Etymology can not only help you grow your vocabulary, but will improve your ability to eliminate wrong answers and make “educated guesses” on the SAT and ACT.
(5.) TAKE PRACTICE EXAMS
While taking a practice exam may not be your ideal way to spend a Saturday morning, it can help boost your scores. The SAT and ACT are timed exams, and taking practice exams in test-like conditions not only helps you prepare, but improves your confidence.
Practice tests will also give you a better idea of which test(s) are best for you. The tests have distinct personalities — the ACT is curriculum-based, while the SAT is more of a general reasoning and problem-solving exam. ACT questions are more straight-forward, and students who score well tend to be fast readers, with strong memorization and information processing skills. In contrast, the SAT focuses more on reasoning, and students who achieve high scores tend to be avid readers, with strong vocabularies, who enjoy test-taking strategies and nuances.
(6.) MAKE SAT /ACT PREP PART OF YOUR DAILY ROUTINE
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