Used every year by over 35 million children in the US alone, the Lexile framework is a proven tool to measure and forecast reading ability. Scientifically validated by over 1,000 external studies worldwide, including Johns Hopkins University, a Lexile assessment allows you to personalize and optimize a child’s education by finding books that are just the right “fit.”
While many metrics only measure the complexity of a text, the Lexile framework also measures the ability of the child. This allows a child to be matched with texts, from among over 100 million books, articles, and websites, that fall in their “zone of proximal development.”
This critical “ZPD” is the sweet spot where the magic in reading progress really happens--from 100 Lexile points (100L) below to 50L above their Lexile score. When reading texts from within this zone (called “Power Texts”), your child is provided with the ideal level of challenge to help them grow as readers, while still being able to comprehend the text.
Within Lighthouse Reader, a parent can enable a powerful tool called Flip-Flop Mode. In this mode, your child toggles between being required to read a “Power Text,” from within that crucial zone of proximal development, before switching to “Free Mode,” where they are allowed to read any book in their library. After reading a book of their choosing, they are flipped back to only “Power Texts” for the next reading selection. This ensures that your child is reading the content that will truly help them progress, while giving them freedom to also read what they like.
This is why the Lexile Framework for Reading is at the heart of Lighthouse Reader. Every 15 days your child’s Lexile score is automatically updated so that every aspect of their literacy experience can be dynamically tailored to their needs and parents always have real-time analytics on their child’s reading progress and future projected growth.
Sources:
https://metametricsinc.com/education-companies/lexile-for-reading-and-writing/ https://metametricsinc.com/education-companies/research-and-publications/lexile-research-and-publications/ https://metametricsinc.com/departments-of-education/lexile-for-reading-and-writing/about-lexile-for-reading/
| Grade | Reader Measures, Mid-Year 25th percentile to 75th percentile (IQR)* |
| 1 | BR120L to 295L |
| 2 | 170L to 545L |
| 3 | 415L to 760L |
| 4 | 635L to 950L |
| 5 | 770L to 1080L |
| 6 | 855L to 1165L |
| 7 | 925L to 1235L |
| 8 | 985L to 1295L |
| 9 | 1040L to 1350L |
| 10 | 1085L to 1400L |
| 11 & 12 | 1130L to 1440L |
Houston Independent School District (HISD) is no different from most major urban school systems. As the largest public school system in Texas and the seventh-largest in the United States, HISD faces the challenges of serving a socio-economically and ethnically diverse student population with a wide variety of learning abilities and educational needs. Under the leadership of Superintendent Abelardo Saavedra, Ph.D., the district is dedicated to giving every student the best possible education.
Jim Hundemer, HISD's library services manager, attended the first Lexile National Reading Conference in Dallas. There, along with hundreds of his colleagues from Texas and around the country, Hundemer learned more about The Lexile Framework for Reading and the power that it could have for helping improve student reading abilities at HISD.
