What are Lexiles, or Lexile Levels?

What are Lexiles?

Lexile measures are numbers of either a student's reading ability or a text's difficulty level on a scale from BR (Beginning Reader) to 2000L. There are two types of Lexile measures:

1. Lexile reader measures: These represent a pupil’s reading ability, typically acquired through reading tests or assessments. For example, a student might have a Lexile reader measure of 400L.

2. Lexile text measures: These represent the difficulty level of a book or text. For example,, the first Harry Potter book has a Lexile text measure of 880L.

   
   

How are Lexiles Determined?

• Reader measures are assigned based on reading comprehension assessments.

• Text measures are calculated using a tool such as the Lexile Analyzer, which evaluates vocabulary and sentence length.

  
  

Using Lexiles to Select Books

Lexiles can be used to match students with appropriate reading material:

1. Target reading level: When a pupil's Lexile measure matches a text's Lexile measure, it creates a "targeted" reading experience. This provides an optimal challenge for growth - not too easy, not too difficult. 

2. Reading range: Consider a range from 100L below to 50L above the student's Lexile measure. This allows for both comfort and challenge in reading. 

3. Monitoring progress: Lexile measures can track a student's reading growth over time.

   
   

Benefits of Using Lexiles

• Provides a common scale for both readers and texts

• Helps predict comprehension levels for specific reader-text pairings

• Allows for targeted reading experiences that promote growth

• Assists in communicating reading progress with parents

  
  

Considerations when using Lexiles

It's important to note that Lexile measures don't account for:

• The appropriateness of the content

• The text quality

• The reader’s interest or motivation

  
  

Therefore, whilst Lexiles are a useful tool, they should be looked at alongside other factors (like recommended reading age) when selecting books for students.