Reading Lexile Scales –

Scholastic Reading
Inventory

Grade Below Basic Basic Proficient Advanced

1 BR BR - 99 100 - 400 401 - 1700+
2 BR - 99 100 - 299 300 - 600 601 - 1700+
3 BR - 249 250 - 499 500 - 800 801 - 1700+
4 BR - 349 350 - 599 600 - 900 901 - 1700+
5 BR - 449 450 - 699 700 - 1000 1001 - 1700+
6 BR - 499 500 - 799 800 - 1050 1051 - 1700+
7 BR – 549 550 - 849 850 – 1100 1101 - 1700+
8 BR - 599 600 - 899 900 - 1150 1151 - 1700+
9 BR - 649 650 - 999 1000 - 1200 1201 - 1700+
10 BR - 699 700 - 1024 1025 – 1250 1251 - 1700+
11 BR – 799 800 - 1049 1050 - 1300 1301 - 1700+
12 BR - 799 800 - 1049 1050 - 1300 1301 - 1700+

Common Core Curriculum Text Complexity Bands

Grade Band Current Lexile Band "Stretch" Lexile Band*
K–1 N/A N/A
2–3 450L–725L 420L–820L
4–5 645L–845L 740L–1010L
6–8 860L–1010L 925L–1185L
9-10 960L–1115L 1050L–1335L
1500 – College Textbooks 11–CCR 1070L–1220L 1185L–1385L

1410 – Job Application

1380 – The New York Times
1370 – Lemony Snicket’s The End
1350 – Standard Lease Agreement
1270 – Federal Student Aid Application
1130 – I-Pod Installation manual
1100 – 11th grade chemistry textbook
1020 – Drivers’ License Manual
830 - Playstation Install Instructions
810 - Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
750 – toy Assembly Instructions
2180 –US Bill of Rights
1510 – The Prince - Machiavelli
1340 - Metamorphosis – Kafka
1340 – Scarlet Letter – Hawthorne
1200 – Great Expectations - Dickins
1160 – Tess of the D’Urbervilles – Hardy
1090 – 1984 – Orwell
1080 – Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
1070 – The Great Gatsby - Fitzgerald
1020 – Hatchet – Paulson
960 – The Three Musketeers - Dumas
870 – To Kill a Mockingbird - Lee
810 – Frankenstein - Shelly
810 – Hunger Games – Collins
770 – Wuthering Heights - Bronte
660 - Holes - Sacher
630 – Of Mice and Men – Steinbeck
Is the Lexile score the only thing to consider when evaluating a text?
No, an evaluation of a text should be completed by three measures. One
measure is the technical aspect (Lexile) of the text (word length, word
frequency, sentence length). Another measure is to analyze the meaning,
author’s purpose and structure of the text. The last measure is the
reader’s knowledge and experience with the text and his engagement or
interest with that text. This last measure also considers what the student
will be expected to do with the text once it is completed.
As a student, what do I need to consider?
Are you reading a text at or above grade level?
Does the chosen text have substance and embedded meaning?
What will you be doing with the text?
These considerations are important because texts with Lexiles
below your reading level will not stretch you as a reader
(vocabulary, sentence length and variety). Texts with Lexiles far
above your level may be difficult to comprehend and in turn not
help you grow as a reader.
Resources for determining Lexile scores:
www.lexile.com
www.scholastic.com/bookwizard