Lexile® Measures in the Classroom
Lexile measures provide educators with an interpretive — not prescriptive — tool for measuring student growth and predicting future success. There are two Lexile measures: the Lexile student measure and the Lexile text measure. The idea behind The Lexile Framework for Reading is simple: if a teacher knows how well a student can read and how hard a specific text is to comprehend, they can predict how well that student will likely understand that text.
When the Shoe Fits
You know your shoe size. But imagine how frustrating it would be to try to buy shoes if you couldn’t find out what size they were. The same goes for non-Lexile reading scores. A student scored “286” in reading, for example— what would that mean? How would that student find materials to match a “286”?
That is what makes the Lexile Framework for Reading different from other reading scales. It comes to life when you match a Lexile student measure with a Lexile text measure. The Lexile® scale is like a thermometer from below 0L for beginner students and text to above 2000L for advanced students and text. The Lexile measure is shown as a number with an “L” after it — 880L indicates an 880 Lexile measure. When a Lexile text measure matches a Lexile student measure, this is called a “targeted” reading experience. The student will likely have some challenge with the text, but not enough to get frustrated. This is the best way to grow as a learner — with text that’s not too hard but not too easy.
How Educators Use Lexile Measures
Lexile measures provide educators with valuable information about students’ abilities, as well as the difficulty of a text, such as a book or a magazine article. Here are just a few ways educators use Lexile measures:
- Personalise learning. Educators best serve students when they treat them like individuals. They can personalise learning by using free Lexile resources to connect students with materials in their Lexile range, or reading comprehension “sweet spot,” which is from 100L below to 50L above their reported Lexile measure.
- Differentiate instruction. Teachers can use their knowledge of their students’ abilities and Lexile measures of reading materials to connect students to text they can understand. For example, when all students in a classroom are using the same book, Lexile measures help teachers predict which students might need extra help, and which ones might need enrichment.
- Communicate with parents. Lexile measures offer educators a way to communicate with parents about their children’s progress. When parents know their child’s Lexile measure, they can use that information at home to connect their child with reading materials.
- Forecast comprehension. The Lexile Framework helps teachers forecast students’ comprehension of a text by knowing their Lexile student measures.