Cathy - just out of curiosity, does your DS read chapter books and have you looked up the lexile counts or levels on any of those books? I just wonder really how accurate that method of leveling is. The word lists seem kind of arbitrary and GT kids do tend to be very good at deriving meaning from surrounding text.
DS was most recently assessed at 6th grade reading level in 1st grade. But I know he regularly picks up stuff beyond that level and seems to get good comprehension. I also kind of wonder if the teacher in our case is motivated to "fully" assess him. DS said he gets a couple paragraphs to read aloud and then declares him reading at that level without attempting to get to something he can't get through as comfortably. I think she just lets him climb a grade level every time she assess him. My DS is also the highest reader in his class.
