Lexile

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Lexile MeasuresA tool to improve reading in
English
Timothy Klasson, Chief Operating Officer Todd
Sandvik, Executive Director of Global Services
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OverviewLexile measures can help improve reading
in English for your students.

• What is a Lexile measure?
• What does a Lexile measure mean?
• How can I use Lexile measures?

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About UsMetaMetrics created Lexile measures.

• Based in North Carolina, U.S.A.
• Prominent in educational research.
• Focused on linking assessment with instruction.
• Services in development, licensing and support.
• Growing adoption of our tools worldwide.

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Historical Timeline
1984
1997
2006
2005
2010
Initial research funded by the U.S. National
Institutes of Health (NIH)
Introduction of Lexile measures for Reading
Introduction of Lexile measures for Writing
Introduction of Quantile measures for Mathematics
U.S. Common Standards for English include Lexile
measures
Lexile measures are now the standard for Reading
in English.
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ChallengeWhat is the right shoe size for a ten
year old?
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AnswerIt depends on the ten year old.
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What is the right book?
It depends on the individual, too.
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What are Lexile measures?

• Matching readers with text. . .

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The Lexile MeasureA scientific way to match
readers with text

• Uses a common scale for measuring individual
  readers and texts
• Enables accurate matching of reader ability with
  text complexity to enhance learning
• Provides authentic views of English reading
  demands and progress over time

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A Common Scale for ReadingThe Lexile measure is
a unified metric.
Reading Ability 850L
Text Complexity 850L
reader
text
When they match, learning improves.
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The Lexile ScaleLexile measures are
developmental.

• Advanced-level readers and texts have higher
  measures
• Beginner-level readers and texts have lower
  measures

Advanced
2000L
1500L
A Lexile measure is given as a number followed by
an L
1000L
500L
Beginner
0L
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The Lexile MapA visual representation of the
Lexile scale.
Sample Books
Sample Passages
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How Are Readers Measured?A reading test
determines the Lexile measure of an individual
student.

• A test that utilizes the Lexile scale for Reading
• or
• A test that has been linked with Lexile measures
• Millions of students get a Lexile measure
• each year from a variety of assessments.

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Examples of Tests in KoreaSeveral tests that
provide a Lexile measure

• English Reading Assessment for Korean Students
  published by Natmal
• Scholastic Reading Inventory (SRI)
  published by Scholastic
• TOEFL and TOEFL Junior tests
  published by ETS

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How Are Texts Measured?The Lexile Analyzer
evaluates the complexity of a text to determine
the Lexile measure.

• Difficulty of the sentence structures
• Longer sentences are more difficult.
• Difficulty of the vocabulary
• Less familiar words are more difficult.
• Millions of books and articles
• have received a Lexile measure.

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Example Books
1210L
220L
560L
980L
1680L
770L
The best fit for learning typically ranges from
100L below to 50L above the readers measure. For
example, a 900L reader is usually matched with
books that range from 800L to 950L.
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What do Lexile measures mean?

• Matching readers with text. . .

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Typical Reader MeasuresLexile measures by grade
level in U.S. schools
Grade Mid-Year Reader Measures (middle 50 of students)
3 330L to 700L
4 445L to 810L
5 565L to 910L
6 665L to 1000L
7 735L to 1065L
8 805L to 1100L
9 855L to 1165L
This information is for descriptive purposes only
and should not be interpreted as a prescribed
guide.
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Typical Text DemandsTextbook measures by grade
level in U.S. schools
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College and Career ReadinessA text-based
perspective using Lexile measures
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Real-World Text DemandsEnglish-language online
newspapers worldwide

• 1340L Times of India
• 1350L Japan Times
• 1360L Chosun Ilbo (Korea)
• 1370L Arab News (Saudi Arabia)
• 1380L Santiago Times (Chile)
• 1400L China Daily
• 1400L The Moscow Times (Russia)

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Using Lexile Measures

• Matching readers with text. . .

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Free Lexile ResourcesUseful things you can do at
www.lexile.com

• Introductory materials and best practices
• Lexile Book Database (Find-a-Book)
• Lexile Text Analyzer
• Research articles and white papers

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The Lexile Titles DatabaseBrowse book titles at
www.lexile.com/fab

• Free, easy-to-use book search utility
• Access the thousands of books that have been
  given a Lexile measure
• Include reading interests to increase motivation
  and further personalize practice

Schools and libraries can license the database
for local use.
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The Lexile AnalyzerMeasure text online at
lexile.com/analyzer

• Basic Steps
• Create an electronic file of the full text for an
  article, story, or book
• Remove all non-prose components, such as headers,
  captions, and lists
• Submit the file to the Lexile Analyzer
• Get the Lexile measure instantly

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Differentiating InstructionUse Lexile measures
to tailor the classroom

• Sequencing classroom materials
• Grouping students by reading ability
• Exploring special themes or topics of interest
• Setting goals and measuring progress
• Communicating with parents
• Encourage more independent reading!

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Further ConsiderationsOther factors in matching
readers with books

• Age-appropriateness of material
• Amount of additional support (such as pictures)
• Background knowledge

Lexile codes help describe qualitative
characteristics of books, such as
age-appropriateness and intended usage.
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Lexile CodesAdditional information about books

• BR Beginning Reading (0L or less)
• AD Adult Directed
• NC Non-Conforming
• HL High-Low
• IG Illustrated Guide
• GN Graphic Novel
• NP Non-Prose

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Create a Lexile-Based Reading List with Find a
Book

• Matching readers with text. . .

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Lexile.com/fab
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Contact UsFor more information. . .

• Online
• Visit www.lexile.com/feedback to submit your
  questions to MetaMetrics.
• Email
• Timothy Klasson tklasson_at_lexile.com
• Todd Sandvik tsandvik_at_lexile.com