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Make better reading lists with Lexile measures
Many school and library summer reading programs distribute grade-level or thematic reading lists. However, most classrooms have readers that range from two grades below level to two grades above level. Lexile measures and Find a Book make it easy to build customized reading lists.
Here are some problems with one-size-fits-all reading lists:
- They don't cover much of the ability range for a grade. Lower-ability readers get left out.
- They are organized alphabetically by author's last name, rather than by text difficulty. This is how adults commonly organize books, not how young readers organize them.
- There length intimidates reluctant readers. A tight and considered list of 15 books is better than a sprawling, random list of 60 books.
- They don't include summaries or cover images, which are the two most important pieces of information that a young person uses to choose a book.
- They tend to go stale. Childhood favorites of educators and award-winners from the 1950s should be in the minority, compared to books published within the last three years.
- They don't take an individual reader's interests into account.
Try making lists by Lexile zone (every 100L) or ability level, and include a wide developmental range of books in each list. Within one Lexile zone, there are many developmental levels. There are 800L picture books appropriate for an advanced first grader, as well as 800L young adult novels that appeal to a ninth-grade reluctant reader.
The Durham County Library made a popular set of lists organized by Lexile range to go along with its existing grade-level lists. The library section column in its Lexile lists provides basic developmental level information for parents, making it easy to find appropriate books targeted to their child's individual reading level.