[ISLMA-Share] Middle School Boy - PG novels, high lexile

Email list for the Illinois School Library Media Association islma at list.railslibraries.info
Fri Feb 2 11:31:44 CST 2018


My problem lexiles is exactly the problem you are having right now.  I have
honors classes of 7th and 8th graders whose teachers are requiring them to
read at their lexile levels, to which I have responded the same way as
you... by saying "Well, I have an awesome college physics textbook you can
peruse."

We even have parents complaining that our school is not challenging their
students because they cannot fine books at their lexile in our library.
Well, duh!  We're a junior high school and your kid is Stephen Hawking!   I
have begun to hate lexiles.

So... I have begun working with the kids themselves to help them understand
what lexiles even mean, what they measure, and that the numbers have
nothing to do with content, plot complexity, length, theme, etc.  Most of
the books I have at the higher lexiles, like above 1100, are mostly
classics and non-fiction math and science topics.  Clearly this will not
work for book reports and their fun reading.   I decided that a different
approach was necessary.  Instead of struggling to find an appropriate book
at their very high lexile level,  I have been using lexile.com to show them
that even adult writers like Stephen King and Nicholas Sparks don't write
books at that high of a lexile as well as what text at 1300L looks like.
 Now when students can't find books in our library at their lexile I am
encouraging them to challenge themselves in other ways like reading genres
they normally wouldn't pick up, or looking for books with more complex plot
lines, multiple plot lines, edgy or more advanced social themes, etc.  The
kids have been really receptive to this, and they now understand lexile
measures better.  My hope is that the information "trickles up" to the
adults in their lives.


*Amanda Kuzminski*
*Library Media Specialist*
Orland Junior High School
Orland Park, IL
708-364-4214


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On Fri, Feb 2, 2018 at 10:18 AM, Email list for the Illinois School Library
Media Association <islma at list.railslibraries.info> wrote:

> Personal pet peeve showing: this is the problem with focusing on Lexile
> level instead of interest level. This request is insane.
>
> *~Monica TolvaLibrary media specialistGoogle Educator Vernon Hills High
> School847-932-2039 <847-932-2039> monica.tolva at d128.org
> <monica.tolva at d128.org>*
> Currently reading* Sourdough
> <http://titlepeek.fsc.follett.com/tp/query?action=3&subnumber=1206365&isbn=9780374203108&appid=4>
> *by Robin Sloan
> Currently listening to *Birds of a Feather
> <https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/83083.Birds_of_a_Feather?ac=1&from_search=true>*(sequel
> to *Maisie Dobbs)* by Jacqueline Winspear
>
> On Fri, Feb 2, 2018 at 10:11 AM, Email list for the Illinois School
> Library Media Association <islma at list.railslibraries.info> wrote:
>
>> I've been asked to find books that are PG and close to a 1400 lexile.
>> Medical dictionary? :)  Difficult to find so I'm concentrating on the PG
>> and getting as high of a lexile as I can.  Anyone have some great titles to
>> recommend for a 6th grade boy?
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Renee Welch
>> Bednarcik Junior High <https://www.sd308.org/domain/965>
>> LRC Director
>>
>> Perhaps no place in any community is so totally democratic as the town library.
>> The only entrance
>>  requirement is interest. - Lady Bird Johnson
>>
>>
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