Making Sure Kids Get the "Right" Text
There is a story that goes like this:
Some time ago I went into a shoe store and asked for a fifth-grade shoe. The clerk looked at me suspiciously and asked if I knew how much shoe sizes varied among eleven-year-olds. Furthermore, he pointed out that shoe size was not nearly as important as purpose, style, color, etc. But if I would specify the features I wanted and size, he could walk to the back and quickly reappear with several options to my liking. He further noted, somewhat condescendingly, that the store used the same metric to measure feet and shoes, and when there was a match between foot and shoe, the shoes got worn, there was no pain, the customer was happy and became a repeat customer. I called home and got my son's shoe size and then asked the clerk for a size 8, red high-top Penny Hardaway basketball shoe.
After a brief transaction I had my shoes. I then walked next door to my favorite bookstore and asked for a fifth-grade fantasy novel. Without hesitation, the clerk and I walked to a shelf where she gave me three choices. I selected one and went home with The Hobbit, an 1100L classic, which I had read three times. My son, I later learned, was then reading at 850L. His understandable response was to put down the book in favor of passionately practicing free throws in the driveway. (“Understanding")
What can be learned from this allegory? First, understanding the proper "fit" for a child is important as for reading or buying a shoe. Second, the proper "purpose" is important for a pain-free experience. Finally, the proper "fit" may actually fit differently from one person to another. Bear with me, and I'll explain:
Ensure Proper Fit
When it comes to reading, a struggling reader will most certainly struggle with a text that is too difficult for him or her and, and we can all agree that a quick shutdown will, most certainly, follow. For teachers, parents, and students, the benefits of recognizing a student's reading level can ensure "their children are reading content that’s not too difficult to be frustrating, but hard enough to challenge them and help them progress" ("Benefits"). I'll speak of this more in just a bit, but this is why it is so important to understand a student's reading level, but reading level should not be the only consideration.
Determine Proper Purpose
In the story above, a student clearly enjoyed playing basketball; this is why he requested a very specific type of shoe. When his mother returned with a second purchase, The Lord of the Rings, the problem was two-fold: first, the epic, high-fantasy novel was significantly above the son's reading level; this would have been revealed as he read the first few paragraphs! The second problem rested in the topic. Personally, I would have loved the gift; thanks to the influence of my sister, I'm a LoTR "nerd!" (In fact, I not only have the series in a boxed set; I also have that set as first-editions! ...and yes -- I have the LoTR series in blue-ray AND each of the Hobbit series in blue ray -- extended editions with director's comments). However, the boy in the allegory above would have been much more open to any novel by Mike Lupica, children's sports novelist, best-known for combining a love of the game with character growth. To learn more about Mike Lupica, see him here in his interview about his latest sports novel, Million Dollar Throw. Even better, if you have a reluctant reader who would rather pick up a basketball (or any other piece of sporting equipment) than read a book, check out Lupica's list of books on his website: http://www.mikelupicabooks.com/books.html. ...but I digress. Here's my point: Children will be more likely to independently read when they are reading a topic that interests them, and this includes both fiction and non-fiction! Perhaps in the medieval days, this was a problem, but with today's extensive choice, this is not the case.
By the way, one of my favorite activities to match kids with great books they, otherwise, wouldn't have know existed is by taking my class to the library for our own version of "speed-dating" with books. If my aim is to create life-long readers, I know that kids should have access to literature they will actually read. After all, "it is easier to read and understand texts that talk about things you already know a lot about" (Schwanenflugel et al.). If you'd like to read more about the activity I conducted with my class, please see this post: "Speed-dating on Valentine's Day...with BOOKS!"
Here's the big picture: Let kids read of topics they like (with parental approval of said topics, of course).
BE FLEXIBLE
WHAT IS THE LEXILE FRAMEWORK?
Here's where it all gets a little technical. First, let's understand what the Lexile Framework is: "The Lexile Framework is a system for measuring texts and readers in the same metric. When a reader's Lexile measure and a book's Lexile measure are both known, a forecast can be made about the success that the reader will have with that book" ("Understanding").
Ensure Proper Fit
When it comes to reading, a struggling reader will most certainly struggle with a text that is too difficult for him or her and, and we can all agree that a quick shutdown will, most certainly, follow. For teachers, parents, and students, the benefits of recognizing a student's reading level can ensure "their children are reading content that’s not too difficult to be frustrating, but hard enough to challenge them and help them progress" ("Benefits"). I'll speak of this more in just a bit, but this is why it is so important to understand a student's reading level, but reading level should not be the only consideration.
Determine Proper Purpose
In the story above, a student clearly enjoyed playing basketball; this is why he requested a very specific type of shoe. When his mother returned with a second purchase, The Lord of the Rings, the problem was two-fold: first, the epic, high-fantasy novel was significantly above the son's reading level; this would have been revealed as he read the first few paragraphs! The second problem rested in the topic. Personally, I would have loved the gift; thanks to the influence of my sister, I'm a LoTR "nerd!" (In fact, I not only have the series in a boxed set; I also have that set as first-editions! ...and yes -- I have the LoTR series in blue-ray AND each of the Hobbit series in blue ray -- extended editions with director's comments). However, the boy in the allegory above would have been much more open to any novel by Mike Lupica, children's sports novelist, best-known for combining a love of the game with character growth. To learn more about Mike Lupica, see him here in his interview about his latest sports novel, Million Dollar Throw. Even better, if you have a reluctant reader who would rather pick up a basketball (or any other piece of sporting equipment) than read a book, check out Lupica's list of books on his website: http://www.mikelupicabooks.com/books.html. ...but I digress. Here's my point: Children will be more likely to independently read when they are reading a topic that interests them, and this includes both fiction and non-fiction! Perhaps in the medieval days, this was a problem, but with today's extensive choice, this is not the case.
By the way, one of my favorite activities to match kids with great books they, otherwise, wouldn't have know existed is by taking my class to the library for our own version of "speed-dating" with books. If my aim is to create life-long readers, I know that kids should have access to literature they will actually read. After all, "it is easier to read and understand texts that talk about things you already know a lot about" (Schwanenflugel et al.). If you'd like to read more about the activity I conducted with my class, please see this post: "Speed-dating on Valentine's Day...with BOOKS!"
Here's the big picture: Let kids read of topics they like (with parental approval of said topics, of course).
BE FLEXIBLE
WHAT IS THE LEXILE FRAMEWORK?
Here's where it all gets a little technical. First, let's understand what the Lexile Framework is: "The Lexile Framework is a system for measuring texts and readers in the same metric. When a reader's Lexile measure and a book's Lexile measure are both known, a forecast can be made about the success that the reader will have with that book" ("Understanding").
QUICK WAY TO DETERMINE READING LEVEL:
Thus, a teacher-friendly, time-worthy (not too cumbersome for a secondary teacher who has a gazmillion students) assessment of reading level may be accomplished with the San Diego Quick Assessment -- directions are included in the link. It's worth looking at, and even easier to use. Strangely-enough, to initially place a student at a level to try, it works well, so it's worth consideration. (When administering the assessment, I don't reveal the grade-level; I simply tell the student I'm quietly sitting with at my desk that they did a great job and record the level in their online grade-book so they can access it whenever needed.) They're then ready to use the understanding of their own Lexile level when we complete our "Article of the Week" assignments with Newsela; here's how I start with Newsela in my classroom: "Nonfiction Reading that Fits!"
PROBLEMS WITH "READING LEVEL"
Determining the Lexile level of a book is not an exact science. In the article found in Psychology Today, the reading level of a text is determined by a small sample of number of letters per word, number of syllables per word, frequency of repeated use of words and the complexity of sentences as measured by the number of phrases per sentences. In fact the authors state that there is a common myth about leveling books which states that "each text has a discrete, accurately measurable reading level" (Schwanenflugel et al.); this myth is simply not true. It can be assumed that if the selected sample had simplistic word choice syntax in the sample, the text could be scored with a lower Lexile level; however, the overall Lexile level may be more complex if the entire text were tested.
Determining the exact level of a student is not an exact science. The second myth the authors highlight is that "each reader has a discrete, accurately measurable level of reading skill. The truth of the matter is this: "People’s performance on many tasks, including reading tests, can be significantly affected by whether they are tired or well-rested, hungry or full, healthy or sick, distracted or focused, anxious or confident"(Schwanenflugel et al.). On any given day, a student may perform differently.
Additionally, if there's enough interest in a subject, students will claim that the reading is easier to understand because they can fill in gaps in comprehension with their own prior knowledge (Schwanenflugel et al.). Here's the truth of the matter: If a student is reading a piece that interests them, often, the reading level doesn't really matter.
Thus, a teacher-friendly, time-worthy (not too cumbersome for a secondary teacher who has a gazmillion students) assessment of reading level may be accomplished with the San Diego Quick Assessment -- directions are included in the link. It's worth looking at, and even easier to use. Strangely-enough, to initially place a student at a level to try, it works well, so it's worth consideration. (When administering the assessment, I don't reveal the grade-level; I simply tell the student I'm quietly sitting with at my desk that they did a great job and record the level in their online grade-book so they can access it whenever needed.) They're then ready to use the understanding of their own Lexile level when we complete our "Article of the Week" assignments with Newsela; here's how I start with Newsela in my classroom: "Nonfiction Reading that Fits!"
PROBLEMS WITH "READING LEVEL"
Determining the Lexile level of a book is not an exact science. In the article found in Psychology Today, the reading level of a text is determined by a small sample of number of letters per word, number of syllables per word, frequency of repeated use of words and the complexity of sentences as measured by the number of phrases per sentences. In fact the authors state that there is a common myth about leveling books which states that "each text has a discrete, accurately measurable reading level" (Schwanenflugel et al.); this myth is simply not true. It can be assumed that if the selected sample had simplistic word choice syntax in the sample, the text could be scored with a lower Lexile level; however, the overall Lexile level may be more complex if the entire text were tested.
Determining the exact level of a student is not an exact science. The second myth the authors highlight is that "each reader has a discrete, accurately measurable level of reading skill. The truth of the matter is this: "People’s performance on many tasks, including reading tests, can be significantly affected by whether they are tired or well-rested, hungry or full, healthy or sick, distracted or focused, anxious or confident"(Schwanenflugel et al.). On any given day, a student may perform differently.
Additionally, if there's enough interest in a subject, students will claim that the reading is easier to understand because they can fill in gaps in comprehension with their own prior knowledge (Schwanenflugel et al.). Here's the truth of the matter: If a student is reading a piece that interests them, often, the reading level doesn't really matter.
HERE'S THE BIG PICTURE:
In order to help kids become life-long readers, they need to have access to literature they will enjoy; this might mean that they are able to get their hands on a traditional novel, a how-to manual, magazines or even graphic novels! Teachers and parents need to make reading fun, and we need to acknowledge the worth in different, often non-traditional genres and modalities.
Don't get stuck on the numbers; reading level of books or of kids is not an exact science; it's just a suggested starting point. We shouldn't restrict what a student reads based on level; allow student choice. What is easy to him or her may seem easy because of prior knowledge and interest level.
Resources:
“Benefits for State DoEs.” MetaMetrics Inc., metametricsinc.com/departments-of-education/lexile-for-reading-and-writing/benefits/.
Schwanenflugel, Ph.D., Patty J., and Nancy Flanagan Knapp, Ph.D. “Three Myths About ‘Reading Levels.’” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, 28 Feb. 2017, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/reading-minds/201702/three-myths-about-reading-levels.
“Understanding the Lexile Framework | Scholastic.” Scholastic Publishes Literacy Resources and Children's Books for Kids of All Ages, www.scholastic.com/teachers/articles/teaching-content/understanding-lexile-framework/.
Resources:
“Benefits for State DoEs.” MetaMetrics Inc., metametricsinc.com/departments-of-education/lexile-for-reading-and-writing/benefits/.
Schwanenflugel, Ph.D., Patty J., and Nancy Flanagan Knapp, Ph.D. “Three Myths About ‘Reading Levels.’” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, 28 Feb. 2017, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/reading-minds/201702/three-myths-about-reading-levels.
“Understanding the Lexile Framework | Scholastic.” Scholastic Publishes Literacy Resources and Children's Books for Kids of All Ages, www.scholastic.com/teachers/articles/teaching-content/understanding-lexile-framework/.
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