Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Age or Ability Specific Forums Elementary School High Lexile Level Books for young readers

I had to have an argument with my DD10's teacher over reading levels for AR books because the majority of the age appropriate books were well below her level. Of course, the majority of what she wanted to read were in the 4th - 5th grade levels (we currently use STAR Reading levels, not Lexiles), and she was told she had to read 6.0 or above. When I explained that she would not be able to read any of the reading assignments for his class or the Battle of the Books books, he relented and artificially dropped her level for AR. My main concern at this point is that she ENJOY reading.

Good luck.

DD8 just did a STAR test too. What is this? there's a GE, IRL and ZPD...how many tests do we need?? She got a GE 5.2 at the start of the quarter.

We found Lexile useless because DD reads only for pleasure and what she prefers to read is about 400-500 points below her range. probably like what most of us would do. When we tried some titles out on her that were in her upper range, she got spooked or simply had no interest.

At this point a high Lexile score seems to be a hazard because it makes her teachers think she should be reading things she shouldn't. This happened in 2nd grade when her teacher let her read anything in the library and she got spooked. This year we warned her 3rd grade teacher in advance in case DD scores high on reading tests again.

Speaking of which, I've heard other parents report their child's Lexile score changing dramatically, like dropping several hundred points from the previous year, etc. I'm skeptical of how accurate a measure it really is.

Ditto for the STAR test. At the end of kindergarten DS was reading 4th grade books and STAR tested at 4.1. He read 3rd-5th grade books all summer. At the beginning of 1st grade he STAR tested 3.1, which are clearly way too easy for him.

The school librarian hates the STAR test and A.R., and feels they're completely inaccurate of a child's actual ability.

I don't know if guided reading is much better. DD started first at a level 'j' and ended by completing 'o'. This year she started in level 'M'. Her lexile is 550-675

DS's has been high and getting higher with each testing so I neve question it. His teacher told him to "keep doing whatever it is hes doing" Should I tell her he's been zooming through tons of books, all 500 pts below his Lexile Level???

Same thing with DD: big score gains during the year but reading the same age-level books in the same series through 2nd grade.

This quote is interesting:
Also, Pride and Prejudice has a Lexile score of 1090 and the children's book Paddington at Large has a score of 1160! My DD read that particular Paddington book with relish, laughing along the way, but when she tried reading Pride and Prejudice recently on one of her nightly reading homework sessions just for fun, she only made it through 23 pages before putting it down feeling exhausted, uninterested, and probably somewhat baffled.

Her 3rd grade teacher told us about the Five Finger Rule which I think is good commond sense at least from a comprehension standpoint. I'll be using that to help DD pick out books, and just ignore Lexile from now on.

We go purely for interest, not for level. We do watch violent content for our fairly sensitive DS.

My favorite online list:
http://www.examiner.com/gifted-children-in-national/info-101-book-list-for-young-gifted-readers

This site is searchable by "sensitive reader" and age, which has yielded appropriate content for us:

http://armadillosoft.com/booksetc/l...le=&authorLName=&ageLevelConcept[]=3&forSensitiveKids=y&Request=Look+for+books

DeeDee

Last year, my DS's lexile level was given as 1100-1300. He was 8 and in 3rd grade. The teacher insisted that his independent reading books all had to be in his lexile level. It wasn't until I asked her to print me a list of recommendations that she went "Oh, wow, uh yeah..." because she realized that there was almost nothing in that range that would appeal to an 8 year old and most of what did was totally inappropriate for his maturity level.

I find that it's the variance in material, the exposure to different types of writing and a true love of reading that matters far more than lexile level. My son devoured the Percy Jackson series- which brought a passion for mythology that has lasted more than a year.

Interestingly, our experience has been the opposite of what many here describe, with DD's teachers urging her to choose books that are too easy. She has taken (at her behest) many quizzes on some website that approximates AR and gets 9/10 or 10/10 on books ranging up to 6th-7th grade or so, but at school she is being given books in the 3rd grade range or so (she is in second). However, I don't believe she has had her Lexile tested, so maybe that's why. I have decided not to care about this too much since she does a lot of independent reading that is harder.

DD is an interesting case in that her comprehension appears to be much better than her vocabulary, which actually isn't all that great for a kid of her general ability.

Anyway, I do have a couple of suggestions. DD recently read Rabbit Hill, by Robert Lawson, which is aimed at younger children but has a Lexile of 1050. She has also been reading the Borrowers series--its exiles vary a somewhat ridiculous amount but range from 770 to 910. There is this series called Fairy Chronicles that DD has been reading off and on since she was in K whose Lexiles are mysteriously high, IMO--1050 or so. I don't think they merit those Lexiles but if you were looking for books that appeal to young girls and are not inappropriate, they sure would work.