What is Lexile®
20+ years of scientific, research-based approach to literacy
"Lexile is the best way to find the right book at your child’s reading level. This framework has been validated by over 1,000 studies worldwide and is used in schools and educational settings across the US. The Lexile framework personalizes its leveling system by looking at the ability level of the child and the difficulty level of the text.
This matching system allows your child to find books that reinforce reading skills and strategies that your child has learned. These same books also provide your child with just the right amount of new information so that they can grow as readers. This area where skills are reinforced and just the right amount of new ideas are introduced is known in the education world as the” zone of proximal development” or ZPD. The Lexile framework matches children to over 100 million pieces of text in their ZPD. Here, from 100 Lexile points below to 50 Lexile points above their Lexile score, is where your child can comprehend the text while still being exposed to new words and ideas to challenge them as a reader. LightSail calls the texts in a child’s zone of proximal development “Power Texts.”
To encourage reading at this level, LightSail has a tool called Flip-Flop mode. This can be enabled or disabled by a parent at any time. This mode requires a child to read a “Power Text” at their just-right level before being able to choose anything they like in “Free Mode.” After reading a text of their choosing they are then switched back to “Power Text” mode, and this cycle continues. This Flip-Flop mode provides motivation for a child to read something in their zone of proximal development in order to read something they enjoy afterwards.
Due to the proven capability of the Lexile framework, you can see why it is at the heart of LightSail Reader. Your child’s Lexile score is automatically tracked and updated every 15 days, so you never have to worry about if they are reading the right book for their level. All texts in LightSail have Lexile levels clearly marked to make finding a book for your child quick and simple. Parents can keep up with all of their child’s activities in LightSail, and see the progress their child is making with real time analytics right from their home screen. LightSail follows your child’s reading and reading progress, so you don't have to. "
Matching Readers
Click on your score
![The Camp [1]](https://lightsailed.com/reading-at-home/wp-content/themes/new-homeschool/assets/img/lexile/books/9781630780647-min.jpg)
Typical Lexile Reader Measures
by Grade for English Text
| Grade | Reader Measures, Mid-Year 25th percentile to 75th percentile (IQR)* |
| 1 | BR120L to 295L |
| 2 | 170L to 545L |
| 3 | 415L to 760L |
| 4 | 635L to 950L |
| 5 | 770L to 1080L |
| 6 | 855L to 1165L |
| 7 | 925L to 1235L |
| 8 | 985L to 1295L |
| 9 | 1040L to 1350L |
| 10 | 1085L to 1400L |
| 11 & 12 | 1130L to 1440L |
The Lexile® Framework places both the reader and text on the same developmental scale, making it easy to connect the student with books targeted to their reading ability.
West Virginia Takes Steps to Ensure All Students Are Prepared for Success in the Workforce
The West Virginia Department of Education leverages Lexile and Quantile measures to provide teachers parents and students with important information for personalizing learning and charting growth toward college and career readiness. Lexile and Quantile student measures are reported from summative assessments in grades 3-8 and from SAT scores for grade 11. State leaders collaborated with MetaMetrics to develop a Lexile and Quantile Parent Report that effectively communicates information about students’ Lexile and Quantile measures.
The report features the Lexile and Quantile Growth Planners that help forecast student reading and math growth starting at third grade and compare that forecasted performance to text and math demands of college and careers. With the Growth Planners’ career exploration feature, students and parents can select from hundreds of careers to evaluate a career’s educational requirements, salary range, job demand and much more.
North Carolina Students Use Lexile Measures to Build Reading Skills
K-5 educators face unique challenges. In addition to teaching and preparing students for high-stakes tests, successful teachers of young children also create lifelong readers. This responsibility weighs heavily on the shoulders of Susan Sidden, K-5 supervisor of reading and writing for the Wilkes County School District in North Carolina. Wilkes County is a quiet, largely rural county located in the northwest part of the state, at the foot of the Appalachian Mountains.
With a spread-out population of about 66,000 and a 45-minute drive to the nearest major metropolitan area (Winston-Salem), Wilkes County—and, by extension, its school district—is self-sufficient, self-reliant and determined to excel. It was that determination that led the district to turn to Lexiles to help its students build literacy skills.
South Florida Middle School Uses Lexile Measures to Map Path for Meeting State Learning Standards
As every educator knows, reading must be taught on an ongoing basis and throughout the curriculum—not just in Reading and Language Arts classes, but in all classes, particularly in elementary and middle school.
As students progress up the educational ladder, they must use their reading skills to interpret and analyze materials in every subject area. At Boca Raton Community Middle School in Florida, a new program is putting The Lexile Framework for Reading to work throughout the school's curriculum, helping teachers to ensure that students meet state learning goals.
Lexile Measures Help Alaska Elementary School Foster Strong Reading Habits, Increase Student Reading Proficiency
Schools everywhere are grappling with balancing the ever-increasing emphasis on standardized test scores while ensuring that each student's individual learning needs are met. A small Alaska elementary school has achieved that delicate balance. East Elementary School in Kodiak implemented a school-wide reading initiative that is instilling a lifelong love of reading in its students and making their scores on the Alaska state reading assessment skyrocket.
Part of the Kodiak Island Borough District, East Elementary is located on an island off the southern coast of Alaska, where it serves 320 students from the town of Kodiak and the nearby Coast Guard station. School principal Ron Fried and reading specialist Margaret Reed embody the independent, self-sufficient attitude for which the forty-ninth state is known, and in 2002 created an in-school reading program using The Lexile Framework for Reading.
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Find answers to frequently asked questions or contact us for more support.
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How do I know what books are right for my child?
LightSail takes the guesswork out of choosing books for your child by tailoring each child’s library to their precise reading level.
By honing in on a child’s precise LexileⓇ reading score, LightSail can match them with books that are at that “just-right” level to promote optimal reading progress.
And because LightSail contains such a wide-ranging array of content, there is always a vast selection of books for any topic or interest.
What ages/grades is LightSail for?
LightSail’s Premium and Standard subscriptions are designed for children in grades 3 through 12 (ages 8-18).
We also have a World Book Kids subscription for grades 1 through 2 (ages 5-7) and a World Book Early Learners subscription for PreK through K (ages 2-5).
Is LightSail different from an Amazon Kindle or other e-readers?
Unlike static e-readers, LightSail doesn’t just offer children books.
Every book and article in LightSail contains 6 layers of added features that let your child experience books.
By adapting to a child’s precise reading ability, offering them content that is at that “just-right” reading level to promote literacy growth, and providing a fully customizable, rewarding reading experience, LightSail unlocks the magic of reading in ways no physical book or static e-reader can.
What types of parental control do I have over my child’s activity and content?
In short, complete control.
LightSail contains an entire suite of parental control features that govern every aspect of the platform from video viewing, to chats, to what content can be seen and accessed.
Additionally, LightSail’s revolutionary ChildSafe Content Controls lets parents screen and block content according to dozens of nuanced subcategories based on maturity factors, family values, and religious topics.
How can I make reading fun for my child?
LightSail incorporates gamification features into every aspect of the platform, especially reading!
By integrating badges, goals and milestones, social sharing options, motivational messages, and the ability for parents to add customizable gift rewards, LightSail incentivizes reading, writing, and learning just like kids’ favorite games.
Parental Controls
Parental Controls allows you to relax while your child is in LightSail. You have complete oversight of all of your child's activities. The ChildSafe matrix lets you control the content your child is allowed to read. You will be guided through the Parental Controls set up, so you never have to worry about whether a book is not appropriate for your child.
About Us
We are LightSail for Reading at Home-a literacy and language arts platform adapted from LightSail Education. LightSail Education has been working to advance literacy skills in K-12 schools since 2012.
Gamification
LightSail has built gamification into every step of your child’s journey. They can set goals, earn badges, use social sharing, and gift rewards. These practices make learning in LightSail fun and rewarding. Your child will be encouraged and excited to read.