Reading Counts!
This year your child will be participating in Scholastic’s Reading Counts! (A reading achievement program with a library of thousands of best-loved titles). It is an independent reading program used by 2nd through 6th grade at Northwood. While it is only one measure of a child’s reading ability, it is helpful in pinpointing strengths and weaknesses in students’ reading.
Students are assigned Lexile levels determined by a computerized Reading Inventory (SRI), a test that evaluates students’ reading levels. On the test, students read fiction and non-fiction passages drawn from books and informational materials, and answer multiple-choice questions that measure their understanding of what they have read. Based on this, SRI generates a reading comprehension Lexile level for each student. This Lexile measure matches readers to books that can be read with confidence. Lexile reading ranges can change during the year as your child becomes more proficient in reading. The SRI test is given each trimester.
Students are expected to read books in their Lexile range and take computer quizzes on the books when they finish. These quizzes test their understanding of the book they have read and must be passed with a score of 70% or higher. A quiz not passed can be retaken 2 additional times (but only once a day) so that the student has an opportunity to reread.Scholastic assigns each book a point value based upon its length.
The students in both 2nd and 3rd Grades are to read and pass quizzes totaling a minimum of 6 points per month. If students struggle with Reading Counts quizzes, we suggest they keep a reading journal in which to write a short summary of what they read each evening. They can use this to help them remember what they have read and prepare for the quiz.
Planning ahead, reading every day, and keeping the journal all help students be successful as they learn that READING COUNTS!
Common Core Lexile Scales
Lexile Level Grade Range
190 - 530 Grade 1
420 - 650 Grade 2
520 - 820 Grade 3
740 - 940 Grade 4
830 - 1010 Grade 5
925 - 1070 Grade 6
970 - 1120 Grade 7
1010 - 1185 Grade 8
1050 - 1260 Grade 9
1080 - 1335 Grade 10
1185 - 1385 Grade 11-12
Reading Counts Awards/Medals are given to students each trimester who go ABOVE AND BEYOND the 6 point per month minimum. The goals for medals are:
2nd grade: Gold 30; Silver: 20; Bronze: 10
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3rd grade: Gold 50; Silver 40; Bronze 30. Third grade students must also maintain a 70% or higher quiz average.