DURHAM, NC--(Marketwire - Jun 21, 2011) - Kingfisher publishing and MetaMetrics®, developer of the widely used Lexile® Framework for Reading, are providing Lexile measures for many of Kingfisher's popular children's books for toddlers through age 14. An imprint of Macmillan Children's Books, each year Kingfisher publishes about 100 fiction, nonfiction and reference books. Adding Lexile measures to these titles will help guide children to appropriate reading choices based on their ability level.
Among others, Kingfisher's ever-popular U.S. series, "I Wonder Why" and "All About America," will get Lexile measures. "I Wonder Why" helps children develop their knowledge, reading skills and vocabulary with topics about geology, nature, natural history and animals. "All About America" provides them with an action-packed, immersive introduction to American history. All titles with Lexile measures will be available in MetaMetrics' free "Find a Book" search tool and on the Macmillan and Kingfisher websites, Barnes & Noble.com, and other book distributor sites.
"We understand and appreciate the unique value that Lexile measures offer our customers in picking the best books to read," said Angus Killick, Kingfisher's U.S. Publisher. "With more than half of K-12 students receiving a Lexile measure each year, adding these metrics to our titles provides students -- and their teachers and parents -- with another piece of valuable information that they can use to select books that they not only will enjoy but can help strengthen their reading skills."
The Lexile Framework measures text complexity based on word frequency and sentence length. Once these factors are determined, MetaMetrics uses a proprietary scientific equation to assign the text a certified Lexile measure, ranging from below 200L for beginning-reader text to above 1700L for more advanced text.
"By offering Lexile measures, Kingfisher has confirmed its commitment to providing young readers with high-quality books that can help them achieve their learning goals," said MetaMetrics President Malbert Smith III, Ph.D. "With an increasing emphasis on proficiency levels and widespread adoption of the Common Core State Standards, more and more publishers are recognizing the value of Lexile measures in developing and distributing books that are aligned with state and national standards."
The Common Core State Standards cite Lexile measures as key indicators of text complexity. The ELA Standards provide recommended Lexile bands for reading comprehension development to guide publishers in creating grade-level content that will help prepare students for the text demands of college and careers.
The Lexile Framework is a unique educational tool for accurately matching readers with text. Unlike other measurement systems, the Lexile Framework evaluates student reading ability and growth based on actual assessments, rather than generalized age or grade levels. Lexile measures help teachers, librarians and parents find books, articles and other materials that are within a student's recommended Lexile range: 100L below to 50L above his or her Lexile measure. Reading materials within this optimal Lexile range will challenge the student's reading ability, while still maintaining interest and learning. Recognized as the most widely used reading metric, more than 30 million Lexile measures are reported annually from reading assessments and programs, representing more than half of U.S. students.
For more information on the Lexile Framework, visit www.Lexile.com. Publishers interested in learning more about adding certified Lexile measures to their books should contact Jessica Whitesell, publisher relations manager, at jwhitesell@Lexile.com or 919-354-3462.
About Kingfisher
Kingfisher has been setting the standard in quality non-fiction publishing since it was founded in 1978. Recognized as a publisher of reliable information, accessibly presented, Kingfisher delivers books that parents, teachers and librarians want to share and children love to read. Kingfisher is a subsidiary of Macmillan Children's Books, a division of Pan Macmillan Ltd. Kingfisher is distributed by Macmillan Inc. in the North America. Visit us at www.kingfisherbooks.com.
About MetaMetrics
MetaMetrics (www.MetaMetricsInc.com), an educational measurement and research organization, develops scientific measures of student achievement and complementary technologies that link assessment with targeted instruction to improve learning. Our renowned psychometric team created the widely adopted Lexile Framework for Reading (www.Lexile.com); El Sistema Lexile para Leer, the Spanish-language version of the reading framework; The Quantile® Framework for Mathematics (www.Quantiles.com); and The Lexile Framework for Writing. In addition to licensing Lexile and Quantile measures to state departments of education, testing and instructional companies, and publishers, we offer professional development, resource measurement and customized consulting services. Connect with us at http://blog.lexile.com.
MetaMetrics®, the MetaMetrics® logo and tagline, Lexile®, Lexile Framework®, the Lexile® logo, Quantile®, Quantile Framework® and the Quantile® logo are trademarks of MetaMetrics, Inc., and are registered in the United States and abroad. The trademarks and names of other companies and products mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners.
Contact Information:
For more information:
Eric Zurowski
919-547-3453