Reading Levels. How do you find them?
I'm actually not even a teacher yet, but I'm getting very close! Teaching reading when there are different reading levels in your class is an issue that has been grabbing my attention lately. What are some effective ways any of you have found to at least somewhat accurately gauge a student's reading level? I still hate the idea of tests for such a thing, but do they work? Any other ways that are more effective?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Terri Browning on
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Our best luck has come from determining Lexile reading levels for each student and then either assigning books in their range, providing them with several choices from that range, or teaching them to locate library books in their range. Rather than making some students feel "dumb" (which is a real concern with high school students) I've found they like having access to books they can understand and be interested in. A number of the students happily choose books that are a level up from theirs and accept the challenge that comes with it. I introduced literature circles in my sophomore classes this year and used them with both novels and short stories, offering several choices at each of 3 levels. The experiment was a success and something I plan to use in the future. I'm sure as I become more comfortable with circles, the students will do even better. Lexile information can be found at their site, though I'm sure many articles can be located on google as well. Also, anyone using the NWEA MAPs assssments, already has access to student lexile scores and I'm sure other assessment provides give them as well.
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Permalink Reply by Anne Pemberton on
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Geez. I feel old. I have no idea what Lexile Scores are, where to find them. I do, thanks to Terri have a link that I can send teachers to once they have these scores. But, how to get them???? What do they look like??? What do they mean???
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Anne - One of the assessments you likely give will provide a "Lexile Range" - what the student would likely score on a bad to good day. On the NWEA assessments, you'll first get a RIT range that looks something like this to show growth over several years:
Season/Year Grade Student Dist. Avg Norm Student
Score Range RIT Group Avg %ile Range
F08 10 237- 242 -247 224 83- 93 -97
While RITs are useful, Lexiles can be used more universally.
Reading Goals Performance - Fall 2008
Lexile Range: 1249-1399
This Lexile Range is the important figure. You can take it to the Lexile chart to see each student's reading level. The program also has a section (which I believe is the original link I inserted) where you can search particular books and their level. You can alternately type in a lexile level and find books in that range. Our librarian is slowing adding this rating to our books, but I'm not sure what program she uses to do this. I hope this is helpful, not just confusing! Let me know if I can help anymore! *Terri*
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Terri,
I am retired, so not working directly with students. I am building a website that teachers can use to access information and especially resources. So, on the page for Assessments, I have listed the term "Lexile Scores". On the line to the left, I think I need links describing Lexiles, with a link to show how they can get these scores, a link to show them how to interpret the scores into whatever is easily understood (like grade levels), and the link that you provided that helps them select appropriate reading material for the student of by the student.
You can see what I am building so far on http://www.educationalsynthesis.org/assess
which is an index page for a variety of stuff I have grouped under "assessment" for lack of better category for some of them.
After I have a firm grip on lexiles, I will probably also add them to the Language Arts section under the teaching of teading.
As for me, way back in the dark ages when I tested kids and put them into reading materials, I used the Woodcock Reading test at the end of each year, and used the grade level scores to group students and direct their library choices (which were exceedingly few for my several high schoolers reading on 3rd grade level - 5th and up could find much better stuff). Over the years, I got pretty good at eyeballing a book, and taught the kids to use the eyeball test to see if the reading was something they could handle. Small print was a sure indication it was intended for better readers. Easier text was usually in larger type.
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Permalink Reply by Stacy Bodin on
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Thanks for the detailed description and your input! I love getting all of this feedback from different states and districts.
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Thanks for the link!! I will check that ASAP! I appreciate the help!
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I feel the same! It is something we have been exposed to here.
I am currently looking into that to find out more about that. That isn't what we are using in our district at this point. I will keep you updated as I read more about it. Thanks for responding!
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I have heard a lot about the Lexile reading level entries. I am looking at that to get more information on it. I love learning more about different types of reading placement programs. Thanks for your response!
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Permalink Reply by Elise Tickner on
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My school has both SRI and Accelerated Reader (and DIBELS). I am convinced that it doesn't really matter which test you use if you are actually going to use the information to help (but not dictate) students find books at their level. One of the things I caution against is locking the students into reading in their Lexile or ZPD range. It is a guideline. More importantly is to find out what the student interests are. SRI is nice for that if the student already reads because they get to choose 3 types of literature they think they like and at the end of the test they can get a print out of books in those areas in their range. But if the student is younger they just click on an icon that looks nice to them which may or may not be anything they like. I like the idea of a bingo card with pictures for the youngest readers and genres of books for older readers.
If what you are really looking for is the reading levels of books that students choose to read, then you can do a readability formula of which there are many, http://www.harrymclaughlin.com/SMOG.htm is one available online.
My favorite to find out what a student's reading level has already been mentioned and that is to have them read to you. I prefer leveled passages that give them an opportunity to read silently first, retell or answer questions and then read aloud so that I can hear their fluency and word attack skills. Have fun learning about what works for you.
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Thanks for the great feedback and information. We have used DRA too. The district moved to Dibels in 2005. I appreciate the response!
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Elise,
Thanks for the link to the SMOG evaluation. I plan to give it a try tomorrow, and see what a book I wrote last year come out to.... I may use it to grade level some or all of the Personalized Stories that I write when I get a shot of muse. They may be more useful if the teachers and parents know which ones match which general reading levels. You can see the stories at http://www.educationalsynthesis.org/books
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