Frequently Asked Questions About Lexiles

Many parents have had the experience of their child coming home with a Lexile reading level, but do you know what it means?

Here is a handy list of the most frequently asked questions about Lexile scores, their meaning, and how to find books at a particular level.

Click the questions below for their answers

Click the questions below for their answers.

A lexile is a reading level determined by examining the difficulty of text based on vocabulary and sentence structure. (Most text fall between 200 and 1800.)
The lexile can only tell you about the comparative difficulty of the sentence structure and the level of vocabulary. A lexile does not give any information about the age appropriateness of the text. Because of this, close attention should be paid to content when selecting books for children. For example, the adult book, The Firm written by John Grisham, and the children's book, Charlotte's Web by E.B. White, both have a lexile of 680.
When a student is reading for pleasure they should be allowed to choose any materials they wish at any level. When a child selects a book because they are interested in it, they should be encouraged to pursue that interest.
Lexile levels can be found by searching the web sites below.

Web Sites to Search for Lexile Scores

NoveList Plus

(Available through Library's web site) This reader's advisory resource assists fiction readers in finding new authors and titles. Searches by author, title, and keyword. If the book has been lexiled, the score will be listed. Visit the NoveList Plus Database


Lexile Levels

Official website for lexile scoring. Searches can be by title, author, keyword, ISBN, or lexile range. Visit the Lexile Website