[ISLMA-Share] Organize library by Lexile

Email list for the Illinois School Library Media Association islma at list.railslibraries.info
Fri Feb 17 08:36:10 CST 2017


(Caution - I'm passionate about this topic!)


Lexile is a tool, not a rule.  Students should never be required to select books according to Lexile, so why should the library be arranged by Lexile.


Everyone thinks they can turn reading into a science... it is not a science, it is an art because readers and their needs come in so many shapes and sizes.  Decodability is only one piece of the puzzle that is the reader.


Lexile does not take content of a book into account, it just tries to create an algorithm (for lack of a better word) for readability.  But our readers need more than that.


The profession itself advises against this.  Many reasons are given in the position statement below.


http://www.ala.org/aasl/advocacy/resources/statements/labeling

Position Statement on Labeling Books with Reading Levels ...<http://www.ala.org/aasl/advocacy/resources/statements/labeling>
www.ala.org
Librarians use spine labels to organize and identify library resources by call number to help patrons locate general subject areas or specific fiction, non-fiction ...

And this blog post I wrote is aimed at organizing a library by AR, but the same would apply to Lexile.

https://read2me2.edublogs.org/2009/07/20/testing-testing-1-2-3/


I have also attached a page (309) from the 2016 5th edition of Reference and Information Services which advises against organizing according to Lexile.


And just for the fun of it... let's think again about "The Power of Reading" by Stephen Krashen https://read2me2.edublogs.org/2008/10/06/the-power-of-reading-krashen/


Marcia Brandt

Emeritus Director of K-8 Library Media Services

Herscher CUSD#2

501 North Main, Herscher, IL  60941


brandtm at hcusd2.org<mailto:brandtm at hcusd2.org>


Google can bring you back 100,000 answers, a librarian can bring you back the right one.
–Neil Gaiman

Libraries will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no libraries.
–Anne Herbert

What a school thinks about its library is a measure of what it feels about education.
–Harold Howe



________________________________
From: islma-bounces at list.railslibraries.info <islma-bounces at list.railslibraries.info> on behalf of Email list for the Illinois School Library Media Association <islma at list.railslibraries.info>
Sent: Thursday, February 16, 2017 6:51 PM
To: islma at list.railslibraries.info
Subject: [ISLMA-Share] Organize library by Lexile

I have been asked to organize a elementary library by Lexile.   Can you help me arguments pro and con?

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