Help and frequently asked questions

Lexiles are the global standard in reading assessment. They are unique as they are able to measure a child and a book on the same scale – ensuring the right book gets to the right child at the right time. Lexile measures are based on over 30 years of research and are the most widely adopted measure of reading level and text difficulty. Teachers and students use Lexile measures to select books at a level that will challenge students – not so difficult as to be frustrating, but difficult enough to encourage reading growth. Find out more at scholastic.co.uk/readingpro.

Lexiles will be represented by a number followed by the letter ‘L’ for Lexile. For example: 650L The number is based on computer analysis of semantic elements of whole prose text, word frequency and sentence length. In addition, the theme, content and age-appropriateness are taken into account. Occasionally, there are more letters that appear before the number, such as HL650L. These codes are:

AD: Adult Directed

Picture books are frequently considered for an AD or “adult directed” code because they are usually read to a child, rather than a child reading them independently.

NC: Non-Conforming

The NC code is applied to books that have a Lexile measure markedly higher than is typical for the publisher’s intended audience or designated developmental level of the book.

HL: High-Low

A text designated as “HL” has a Lexile measure much lower than the average reading ability of the intended age range of its readers.

IG: Illustrated Guide

The IG code is applied to books that consist of independent pieces or sections of text such as in an encyclopedia or glossary.

GN: Graphic Novel

The GN code indicates that the book is a graphic novel or comic book.

BR: Beginning Reader

Beginning Reader (BR) is a code given to readers and text that are below 0L on the Lexile scale.

NP: Non-Prose

NP stands for Non-Prose. Some common examples of non-prose content are poems, plays, songs, recipes, and text with non-standard or absent punctuation.