How to find a book at your reading level

Third and fourth graders at Bennett have learned how to search for "just right" books in the library catalog. Students' test scores from last spring were converted into a Lexile score.  Students were then taught how to use a Lexile filter while searching for books on the library catalog, so only books at an appropriate reading level were returned. Students new to Bennett were taught how to find the Lexile level of a book they thought was just right and then use that number to search for new books.  Students were surprised to find out that many picture books had higher Lexile scores than some chapter books. Searching by Lexile level offers students a fast and easy way to find books that will help them grab their interest and improve their reading.

Stop by to learn how to search for books this way!

From a longer article:

What Are Lexiles?

"Lexiles have become the most widely accepted reading measurement in use today; renown as the most accurate way of matching readers to suitable text. Developed by MetaMetrics, Inc., a Lexile is a scientifically-based reading measurement that can be used to match a patron's reading ability to the overall difficulty of a specified text."

How Are Lexiles Measured?

"Using MetaMetrics' Lexile Analyzer software, titles are measured based on word frequency (semantic difficulty) and sentence length (syntactic complexity); the resulting Lexile value is numeric, rated on a scale between 0 and 2000. Generally, the larger the Lexile measurement, the more complex the sentence structure—as well as the frequency with which difficult words are used.  A reader's Lexile level indicates that they are expected to have a 75% comprehension score for a title with the same Lexile measurement. For example, a reader who has a Lexile measurement of 840 should be able to comprehend at least 75% of a title that also has a Lexile measurement of 840."

If you'd like to read more, follow this link: http://www.companioncorp.com/mediawiki/index.php/Lexile

Listen to audiobooks for Free!

The Bellevue School District has an account with NetLibrary where you can download titles from Horrible Harry to George Washington, Spymaster. Books can be listened to on your computer or transferred to an mp3 player.

To create an account, come on in to the Bennett Library. (You need to set up an account from a school computer.) It takes about 2 minutes. I'll give you the directions for setting up the account and for downloading books at home.

Discover why our school is named Richard Bennett Elementary

Our school is named for the artist Richard Bennett (1899-1971) who later in his career would become one of the nation's leading illustrators of children's books. He happened to grow up on the land where our school now sits. Altogether Bennett illustrated over 200 books, including several by best selling and noted writers, as well as seven books that he wrote himself. Those giant black and white prints at the end of each hallway are by Richard Bennett. Every year, the second graders learn about Richard Bennett's life and work in the library. Currently, there is an Exhibit at MOHAI that documents his work. It would be a great outing to learn about this local historic figure who is relevant to your children's lives.

Looking for a good book?

Not to pass the buck on helping your kids find books to read... but let me introduce you to the wonderful world of Guys Read, created by the former teacher and now famed author, Jon Scieszka. (Did you know he was named the first official National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature?) Guys Read's "mission is to help boys become self-motivated, lifelong readers."  There are loads of book recommendations and links to dozens of authors' websites. While geared to boys, there's plenty to appeal to the girl who is not interested in pink fairy books. Give it a try.