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what does 870 lexile mean ?

Understanding Lexile Scores: What does an 870 Lexile Measure Mean?

These days, parents and educators often encounter the term “Lexile measure” when they assess students’ reading levels or when selecting suitable reading materials for the classroom or home. A Lexile measure of 870, in particular, may seem cryptic to those unfamiliar with the Lexile Framework, which is a system created by MetaMetrics to quantify and match readers with text at an appropriate reading difficulty level. In this article, I will explain what an 870 Lexile measure embodies and why it is important.

### What Is a Lexile Measure?

A Lexile Framework measures both a reader’s ability and a text’s readability on the same scale, thus providing a framework to match readers with text appropriately. Both are expressed on the Lexile scale, a range from 200L for beginner readers up to 2000L for advanced texts. The higher the Lexile score, the more complex the text is in terms of word frequency, sentence length, structure, vocabulary, and syntax. The Lexile score of 870 fits somewhere in the middle of this vast scale.

### Interpreting the 870 Lexile Measure

A 870 Lexile measure means that a student at this level can comprehend texts with a similar measure adequately, with about 75% accuracy — enough to foster learning while being challenged enough to push their abilities forward.

For school purposes, a 870 Lexile can correspond with a broad range of school grade levels, but generally, this measurement aligns well for students in the third to the fifth grade, depending on their individual reading proficiency and growth over the academic year. Within that range, the expectation is for the student to experience a learning challenge that is appropriately stimulating.

### The Lexile Scale and Text Complexity

When a student has an 870 Lexile measure on an assessment, it suggests that books and articles at this level would be manageable for them, but still challenge them enough to develop further proficiency. Such a measure is valuable because it indicates an appropriate range for growth and comprehension. This means that 75%-90% of the words in the text are words the student should be able to decode at an 870 Lexile level, but often some words and overall text complexity stretch their reading ability.

### Using Lexile Scores in Reading Instruction

When looking at a book or reading material, if it is noted it is an 870L book, children or classes with a similar Lexile measure would find it neither too difficult nor too simple and should allow for a satisfying reading experience. For instance, some well-known children’s books like “Charlotte’s Web” by E.B. White might fall at this Lexile level.

Lexile measures are tremendously helpful when used in conjunction with other factors, such as a child’s interest and background knowledge, in creating a personalized reading curriculum to ensure balanced learning and engagement. It helps teachers and parents to choose texts not just by grade level but by their actual readability measure, facilitating a more informed and personalized approach to reading instruction.

### Conclusion

The term 870 Lexile measure represents the readability of a certain text and the reading ability of a certain student on the Lexile scale. It is a tool that enables a more accurate and dynamic approach to matching a student’s reading proficiency with appropriate texts. By utilizing these measures, educators, parents, and students can work together to enhance reading proficiency and foster a love for lifelong learning. To make the most of the Lexile framework, it’s important to keep track of a student’s Lexile score as it provides constant feedback on their reading growth and areas of improvement over time.