GL Assessment announces partnership with Usborne to boost children's literacyGL Assessment has announced a partnership with leading children’s publisher Usborne. The agreement will see a wide range of popular Usborne books published with a new type of classification, called a Lexile measure, clearly visible on the cover. The Lexile Framework for Reading™ is set to become a new benchmark for assessing children’s books as it allows for more detailed grading of text difficulty than the standard reading age or key stage levels that are widely used by schools and publishers today. The Lexile Framework for Reading already enjoys huge success across the United States. Over 115,000 books in the US have been ranked with a Lexile measure where it is used in 22 states to assess and develop children’s reading skills. The Lexile Framework provides a common, developmental scale for matching reader ability and text difficulty. Each child’s Lexile score is then matched to books that suit their interests and individual reading capabilities. The framework has been used throughout the school year and to combat the problem of falling standards of childhood literacy over the summer holidays. It makes it easier for parents to engage their children in books that interest them and that are at an appropriate level, encouraging them to read more. GL Assessment, the leading provider of tests and assessments for schools, has brought the Lexile Framework for Reading to the UK in partnership with its developers, MetaMetrics, Inc. Visitors to stand L520 at the London Book Fair 2008 will be among the first to see how the system works. “The Government has called for parents to get more involved in their child’s progress in literacy to help prevent them from falling behind and improve their life opportunities beyond the school years,” said Graham Taylor, GL Assessment’s head of online assessment. “We are pleased to be working closely with Usborne to ensure parents get the help they need to engage their children in reading and spark a love of books that will last a lifetime.” Lexile measures are available in the UK from September 2008 as part of GL Assessment’s popular Progress in English (PIE) Digital tests for 7 to 11-year-olds. Parents of children tested using PIE can be provided with a list of widely available books that are ideally suited to their children’s requirements, allowing them to support their child’s reading development outside school. GL Assessment is talking with children’s publishers across the industry to ensure parents and teachers will have the right information when they are choosing reading material for their children. Publishers interested in finding out more about working with GL Assessment should contact Rebecca Bremner on 0709 2872720. For further information on Lexiles visit www.gl-assessment/lexile.
- ends - About GL Assessment GL Assessment is the UK’s leading independent provider of tests and assessment services for education. It publishes across the 4 -19 age range, with the majority of its assessments designed for 5 -14 year-olds.
|
|
 |
|