Lexile Measures

How do you determine if a book is the correct reading level for your child?

There are a variety of ways to categorize books for readers. Books can be classified by age level, grade level and/or reading level. Since two kids of the same age in the same class are not necessarily able to read books of the same level, using age and grade level recommendations is not ideal, therefore most educators prefer to use quantitative reading levels.

There are a variety of quantitative approaches to determine the reading level of a book, including Guided Reading Levels, Accelerated Reader, Developmental Reading Assessment, and Lexile measures. They all use different slightly different methodologies to measure the reading levels but they are all based on word frequency, vocabulary and sentence length. We have chosen to use Lexile measures to quantify the books here as it one of the most comprehensive systems in use, with over 100 million books and reading materials measured using this leveling system.

Lexile measure are given from 200L for beginning readers and text to 1600L for advanced readers and text.

It is not a perfect system, and there are some scores that leave the head scratching, but it does give a quantitative basis to help determine if a book is appropriate for a reader.

The objective with reading levels is to find a books that are the correct INDEPENDENT reading level for your child.

Parents should not worry as much about what level a child is currently at, but rather, if the child is showing growth in reading over the academic year.

While we prefer not to use grade level equivalents, it does help to have some sort of ball-park figure of what those Lexile measures mean compared to what level an average or above average child is reading.

Grade Level Table

This table reflects 50th percentile rank (PR) and 90th percentile rank (PR) norms for end of year. (Data generated 26. January 2023)

Grade	50 PR	90 PR
K	BR160L	150L
1	165L	570L
2	425L	795L
3	645L	985L
4	850L	1160L
5	950L	1260L
6	1030L	1340L
7	1095L	1410L
8	1155L	1470L
9	1205L	1520L
10	1250L	1570L
11	1295L	1610L
12	1295L	1610L

As an example, by the end of the school year, an average 4th grade student (50PR) independently reads books that are an 850 Lexile meaure.

Guide to Lexile Codes

Some lexile levels are also given an additional code:

• AD (Adult Directed): The book is generally intended to be read aloud to a child, rather than for the child to read it for the first time independently. Many picture books have been assigned the AD code.
• BR (Beginning Reading): The book has a Lexile measure of 0L or below and is appropriate for a beginning reader. The Lexile measure is shown only as BR, without a zero or negative number.
• GN (Graphic Novel): The book is a graphic novel or comic book.
• HL (High-Low): The book includes content of a high interest level, but are written in a style that is easier for a struggling reader.
• IG (Illustrated Guide): The book consists of independent pieces or sections of text, such as in an encyclopedia or glossary.
• NC (Non-Conforming): The book has a Lexile measure that is markedly higher than is typical for the publisher’s intended audience or designated developmental level of the book. NC books are good choices for high-ability readers.
• NP (Non-Prose): The book contains more than 50% of non-standard or non-conforming prose, such as poems, plays, songs and recipes. NP books do not receive a Lexile measure.

For more information, see: lexile.com