Part 1 Introduction To The Lexile Framework

PART 1: INTRODUCTION TO THE LEXILEFRAMEWORK FOR READINGFOR PARTNERS

WHAT’S INSIDE3An introductory message andoutline of the Implementation &Communications Toolkit.5Read an overview of theLexile Framework forReading.About This ToolkitLexile FrameworkOverview8Benefits of LexileMeasures14Learn about the benefits andresources that accompanyLexile measures.Meet your Lexile support team.Contact Your TeamPARTNER TOOLKITWelcome to Part 1: Introduction to theLexile Framework of the Implementationand Communications Toolkit. Toview the toolkit in its entirety, visitLexile.global/toolkit.Introduction to the Lexile Framework for Reading 2

As part of the MetaMetrics family, we are grateful for your partnership. We have a rich historyof more than 30 years of partnering with assessment and digital learning developers to helpconnect test scores with learning. Collaborations between MetaMetrics and assessmentdevelopers and education companies have inspired and produced some of the best educationproducts in the industry. As your partner, we promise to provide the support you need toimplement the Lexile Framework for Reading.You are among a growing number of assessment and education organizations using Lexilemeasures, a proven, scientific tool. A Lexile measure is more than a standalone scale score. Itis a tool that points to targeted content and an indicator for a learner’s next steps in reading.Lexile measures provide connection to real world benchmarks. Over 100 million books, articlesand websites in 180 countries have Lexile text measures and more textbooks, trade books,educational series and other reading content is measured and added to the Framework eachday.The accuracy and flexibility of the Lexile Framework makes it a stigma free way to communicatereading achievements and goals with learners of all abilities and backgrounds including parents,employers and educators. Our research team continues to study English reading materials forlearners around the world – from first language learners in the United States and the UnitedKingdom to English as a foreign language learners in Japan, China and the Republic of Korea.HISTORY & MILESTONESMetaMetrics’ history is based on a vision of making test scores actionable by connecting assessments with instruction. Hundreds of independentresearch studies on Lexile measures validate the metrics.Introduction to the Lexile Framework for Reading 3ABOUT THIS TOOLKITAbout This Toolkit

We are offering this toolkit (Lexile.global/toolkit) so that you and your staff will get the fullbenefit of the Lexile Framework for Reading and its many resources.Because the Lexile Framework provides actionable information for test-takers of all ages andabilities and can be used in many settings from high-stakes assessments to digital readingproducts, some of the information in this toolkit may not be applicable to your organisation’sproduct.The toolkit is organized as follows:PART 1PART 2This section providesan overview of theLexile Framework forReading.Consider the stepsyour company needsto take to report Lexilemeasures for yourcustomers and learnanswers to frequentlyasked questions.INTRODUCTIONTO THE LEXILEFRAMEWORK FORREADINGGETTING STARTEDPART 3COMMUNICATING TOYOUR CUSTOMERSUse these resourcesincluding templates,graphics, logos and othercollaterals to help withkey messages, initialannouncements andoutreach.This is Part 1 of the Implementation and Communications Toolkit. To access Part 2 and Part 3,please visit the Lexile.global/toolkit.Introduction to the Lexile Framework for Reading 4ABOUT THIS TOOLKITAbout This Toolkit

What Is the Lexile Framework?Learners receive a Lexile learner measure as a score from a reading comprehension test thatuses the Lexile scale. The score describes the learner’s ability to read English. Books and othertexts receive a Lexile text measure from a software program that analyses text difficulty.LEXILE SCALEAdvanced level learners and advancedlevel texts have higher measures.Beginner level learners and texts havelower measures. With this Framework,both learner and text are placed onthe same measurement scale. Learnerscan be matched with reading materialsmore precisely than grade or ageindicators allow.Beginning Reader (BR) is a codegiven to learners and texts that havemeasures below 0L on the Lexile scale.A Lexile measure of BR100L indicatesthat the Lexile measure is 100 unitsbelow 0L. Just like -10 degrees ishigher (warmer) than -30 degrees on athermometer, a BR100L book is morecomplex than a BR300L book. Thehigher the number after the BR code,the less complex the text.Introduction to the Lexile Framework for Reading 5LEXILE FRAMEWORK OVERVIEWThere are two kinds of Lexile measures that make up the Lexile Framework for Reading: theLexile learner measure and the Lexile text measure.

LEXILE FRAMEWORK OVERVIEWLexile learner and text measures appear as a number followed by an “L”. For example, “850L” ona score report would indicate that the learner has an 850 Lexile measure from an assessmentof reading comprehension. Since Lexile measures are independent of any one test, publisheror instructional programme, multiple reading assessments can measure and report a learner’sreading performance as a Lexile measure.This learner’s Lexile measure is 670L. A learner with a measure of 670L who is given a textmeasured at 670L is expected to have a 75 percent comprehension rate, the “default” rate usedfor reading instruction within the Lexile Framework. When a text’s measure matches a learner’smeasure, the learner should not be frustrated by losing the meaning-thread of the text, butshould encounter new vocabulary and sentence structures that promote growth in reading.The ideal reading range to encourage growth for a learner is from 100L below to 50L above thelearner’s Lexile measure. In this case, the learner’s ideal reading range is from 570L to 720L.Introduction to the Lexile Framework for Reading 6

Lexile Text MeasuresA Lexile learner measure is the numericrepresentation of a learner’s ability to readEnglish. The Lexile scale is a developmentalscale ranging from beginning learnermeasures below 0L to above 1600L foradvanced abilities. The higher the learner’sLexile measure, the greater their ability toread English. More than 35 million learnersfrom 180 countries around the world havereceived a Lexile measure.A Lexile text measure is the numericrepresentation of a text’s difficulty. Likethe Lexile learner measures, the higher theLexile text measure, the more difficult thetext is to comprehend. The Lexile scaleis a developmental scale ranging frombeginning learner texts below 0L to above1600L for advanced text. Currently, over300,000 books through publishers, onlinebooksellers and education programmes, andover 100 million websites and online booksand articles have Lexile text measures.Lexile text measures can be used to make more informed instructional decisions. Connectinglearners with materials in their Lexile range helps to differentiate instruction. For example, whenall students in a classroom are using the same text, Lexile text measures help predict whichstudents might need extra help and which ones might need enrichment.When a text’s measure matches a learner’s measure, the learner is expected to have a 75percent comprehension rate.Introduction to the Lexile Framework for Reading 7LEXILE FRAMEWORK OVERVIEWLexile Learner Measures

BENEFITS OF LEXILE MEASURESBENEFITS OF USINGLEXILE MEASURESToday, Lexile measures are recognized as the most widely used reading metric. Lexile measuresprovide learners of all ages with a way to monitor their progress toward learning standards andgoals. Lexile measures connect tens of millions of learners to more than 100 million articles andbooks at the right level of challenge through extensive partnerships in government, publishingtechnology and research.The Lexile Framework for Reading’s appeal is that it is a universal, objective standard forEnglish reading. Based on scientific, quantitative dimensions, the Framework is instrumentindependent, not proprietary to one assessment or publisher.Introduction to the Lexile Framework for Reading 8

Lexile Measures Are:Lexile Measures Do Not: A means of providing a benchmark againstreal-world texts used by universities, theworkplace and media outlets across theglobe.X Measure the complexity of the narrative orstoryline of a text. Complementary to other book levellingsystems based on criteria that requirequalitative judgments for guided reading. Complementary to qualitative schemes,like the Common European Framework ofReference for Languages (CEFR). For native English language speakers andEnglish language learners.X Provide an instructional programme.X Measure text support such as supportprovided by accompanying pictures andpull-outs.X Measure text quality. (For instance, aLexile text measure does not address, “Is ita good book?”.)X Provide reading context and purpose.Learners ReceiveLexile MeasuresThrough:High stakes educationassessmentsProgress monitoring testsIntegrated digital programsUniversity language examsWorkplace language examsLanguage institutesIntroduction to the Lexile Framework for Reading 9BENEFITS OF LEXILE MEASURES A tool that can be used to informindividualized instruction and set learninggoals.X Measure the appropriateness of textcontent considering the person’s age,background, motivation or topical interestlevel.

Example Text Passages330L EXAMPLE TEXT1340L EXAMPLE TEXTEarless seals live in oceans. Thickblubber keeps seals warm. A seal’sback flippers help it swim fast. Aseal on land is low. Its claws dig intorocks and ice. Many seals have darkbrown or gray fur. Some have spots.Seals molt every year.The basic element, carbon, is onewhose atoms have an almostinfinite capacity for uniting witheach other in chains and rings andvarious other configurations, and forbecoming linked with atoms of othersubstances. Indeed, the incrediblediversity of living creatures frombacteria to the great blue whale islargely due to this capacity of carbon.The complex protein molecule hasthe carbon atom as its basis, as havemolecules of fat, carbohydrates,enzymes, and vitamins. So, too, haveenormous numbers of nonlivingthings, for carbon is not necessarily asymbol of life.Introduction to the Lexile Framework for Reading 10BENEFITS OF LEXILE MEASURESThe Lexile scale is a developmental scale ranging from beginning reader measures below 0Lto above 1600L for advanced text and abilities. Below are two passages on different ends ofthe Lexile scale. The passage to the left is easier to read and so has a corresponding Lexile textmeasure that is much lower than the more complex text to the right. The Lexile scale can beused to match a learner with real-world reading materials that have appropriate Lexile textmeasures.