Matching second graders to text: The utility of a group‐administered comprehension measure

Abstract This is a study of the utility of Lexile scores for predicting adequate oral reading accuracy and oral reading rate in a tradebook. A Lexile score is a quantitative measure of readability that can be applied to texts and also a metric for describing reading achievement through the use of standardized reading comprehension measures. Participants included 47 second‐grade readers who took a group‐administered reading comprehension test, yielding individual Lexile scores. Trade book titles were randomly selected to correspond to their Lexile scores. After a controlled story introduction, each participant read a single text orally, and researchers calculated oral reading accuracy and rate. Results indicated that 93% of the participants read their Lexile‐identified trade book with oral reading accuracy > 90% but only 57% with reading rate >70 words per minute. Implications for using Lexile scores as part of a school‐level assessment plan are discussed.