The "Find a Book" utility uses a student's reading score, reported as a Lexile® measure, from state standardized tests, including the ISAT, to provide a Lexile range and corresponding list of texts within that range.  The Lexile range for a reader is from 50L above his or her Lexile measure to 100L below. If a student attempts material above their Lexile range, the text may challenge the student and his or her ability to construct meaning from the reading experience may decrease.  Likewise, material below a reader's Lexile range will provide him or her with little comprehension challenge.

Users of the "Find a Book" search tool can also find appropriate books without a Lexile measure through a search using the child's grade level and comfort with the typical reading materials at that grade level.  The search utility will produce a starting Lexile range that can be further refined.

"Find a Book" also offers a Spanish option that allows users to search all of the titles with Spanish Lexile measures.   

Rosalie White, a school library media specialist in Palos Park, is working on an article for the ILA Reporter that features the school library as a place of creative, personal exploration and expression in a time where testing dictates most of what takes place in the classroom.  She's interested in interviewing a couple of other school librarians to explore how they are going about developing their collections to meet the creative needs of individual learners.  If you have testimonies or stories from students about discoveries, talents, and interests developed during library time, please reply to rwhite@palos118.org.