The Hoboken School District has been utilizing the Scholastic Reading Inventory (SRI) in our elementary schools for the past year. The SRI allows for centralized computer assisted testing of reading ability in grades 3-8. Reports are generated easily which allows teachers, administrators and district administrators the ability to analyze data, spot longitudinal trends and help deliver personalized instruction based on a child's need. The measurement used in the Lexile score. The following is a detailed description of what a Lexile score is and it's utility in reading instruction and assessment. -Dr. Petrosino
The Lexile Framework for Reading is a scientific approach to reading measurement that matches readers to text. The Lexile Framework measures both reader ability and text difficulty on the same scale, called the Lexile scale. This approach allows educators to manage reading comprehension and encourage reader progress using Lexile measures and a broad range of Lexile products, tools and services.
The Lexile Framework was developed by MetaMetrics, Inc., an independent education company focused on using technology to bridge assessment and instruction, after 15 years of research funded by the National Institutes of Health. It has since become the most widely adopted reading measure in use today, applicable across the curriculum and at home. Tens of thousands of books and tens of millions of articles have Lexile measures, hundreds of publishers Lexile their materials and all major standardized tests can report student reading scores in Lexiles.
An individual's Lexile scores are determined by administering a test that measures both recognition and comprehension of text. The scale for Lexile scores ranges from 200L for beginning readers to 1700L for advanced reading material. Once a child's Lexile score is determined, teachers and parents can reference a list of books that fall within the child's reading abilities based on Lexile score. Frequent reading outside of school has been proven to boost academic success, so the selection of appropriate reading material may help a child succeed in school by increasing independent reading.
Thousands of titles have been indexed on the Lexile scale and most school personnel and even public librarians are familiar with the Lexile Framework. A parent or child can go to the library and easily choose books that are within the child's range of reading abilities, or parents can challenge children to try a book that is indexed slightly above their currentLexile scores. Parents can also ask their child's teacher to provide a suggested reading list
