Working with Lexile Levels in 3rd Grade

What is the Ideal Lexile Level for Grade 3?

Readers in Grade 3 are in one of their most productive years for growth when it comes to reading ability, so understanding LexileⓇ levels and how to challenge each individual student appropriately is crucial.

Of course, there is no direct equivalence between a specific Grade and the reading ability that each individual child should achieve, as all readers are not the same.
Looking at data acquired from a national sample of students, a typical 3rd grader will have a Lexile score of between 330L and 700L. This rings true for at least 50% of the readers within this space. The study indicated that around 25% were below the average Lexile level in most instances, while the other 25% boasted higher levels than the average.

Although the link between Grades and Lexile levels is not a given, the goal to get students to college reading level by the end of Grade 12, will often be the ultimate goal. This is where text measurement plays a role, and in Grade 3 the aim should be for children to read texts that fall within 520L and 820L.

At this young age, it is essential for students to form the correct reading habits, and using the Lexile framework ensures that their progress is monitored on a regular basis. This puts the power in the hands of educators and parents, while at the same time preventing children from being overwhelmed by text that is far too complicated for them.

Finding the right product and platform can assist in rolling out a tailored reading plan for each student, and this is where LightSail excels.
LightSail Education is a comprehensive Lexile and standards-aligned, literacy platform and digital e-book library. Including multimodal learning functionality and featuring books* from leading publishers, LightSail holistically assesses and nurtures each student on their reading and writing-to-learn journey, throughout elementary, middle, and high school.

3rd grade lexile levels

*LightSail offers a 2,000 or a 6,000 title bundle with its student subscriptions. Other titles are available for individual purchase. Request a demo.

Insights for your ELA Classroom

We've gathered information on the topics educators ask us about most often. Each post is written to be insightful, practical and most of all, based on what we know works from our experiences with tens of thousands of classrooms across the country.

Trending Topics:

  • Going Digital & Your Literacy Strategy
  • Engaged Students in Data Driven Classrooms
  • How Formative Assessments Can Guide Instruction

Sign Up For Literacy In Action

We protect your privacy and will never share your email address with anyone.