El Sistema para Leer, the Spanish Lexile Framework for Reading, is a scientific approach to measuring both Spanish reading comprehension ability and Spanish text complexity, placing both measures on the Lexile scale. When used together, these measures can help teachers and parents match a student who reads Spanish with Spanish reading material that is at an appropriate difficulty or provide an idea of how well the reader will comprehend a Spanish-language text. Students may be matched with Spanish reading material that facilitates the optimal growth in their Spanish reading comprehension ability.

One Framework, Two Measures

The Spanish Lexile Framework for Reading includes two measures:

• Student measures (Spanish Lexile reading measure)
• Text measures of the material (Spanish Lexile text measure)

The Spanish Lexile Framework for Reading and the Lexile Framework for Reading (English) are completely distinct and independent frameworks. Measures from one framework should never be exchanged with measures from the other.

The Spanish Lexile reading measure indicates a student’s ability to successfully read and comprehend professionally edited Spanish text. A student receives a Spanish Lexile reading measure after taking a Spanish reading test that reports Spanish Lexile reading measures. We work with test publishers to develop Spanish language reading tests or design and implement studies to link with existing Spanish reading tests to report Spanish Lexile reading measures. 

The Spanish Lexile text measure is a quantitative feature that represents the complexity of a Spanish-language text. Spanish Lexile text measures come from submitting a Spanish text file to a software application called the Spanish Lexile Text Analyzer. The Spanish Lexile Text Analyzer examines characteristics of the text, such as word frequency and sentence length, to determine its Lexile text measure.

Spanish Lexile measures are expressed as numeric measures followed by an “L” (for example, 850L) and are placed on the Lexile scale, ranging from below 0L for beginning readers and beginning reader materials to above 2000L for advanced readers and materials.

The Spanish Lexile reading measure can also be used to monitor a reader’s growth in Spanish reading ability over time. When a Spanish Lexile text measure matches or is in the range of a student’s Spanish Lexile reading measure, this is called a targeted reading experience. The reader will encounter some level of difficulty with the text, but not enough to get frustrated. This is the best way to grow as a reader – reading text that’s not too hard but not too easy.

There are many benefits of the Spanish Lexile Framework for Reading. You can use Spanish Lexile measures to:  

• Provide an interpretive framework for looking at Spanish reading test data. Test scores have more meaning in the context of the Spanish Lexile Framework for Reading because they can be evaluated in terms of the reading challenge of specific Spanish-language texts. Normative data also enables users to understand student scores in terms of typical Spanish reading measures for students in the same grade.
• Connect test results with classroom instruction. You can use the Spanish Lexile reading and Spanish text measures to anticipate the reading challenges students will encounter with specific Spanish-language texts. With this information, you will be better able to plan appropriate instruction and scaffolding.
• Monitor and forecast reading growth. The Lexile scale is a developmental scale, which means that scores can be compared across grade levels and years as students grow. Students’ Spanish reading comprehension skills can be assessed in the early grades and monitored to ensure growth continues.
• Match students to text using a common framework and support student reading comprehension. Educators, parents, and students can use Spanish Lexile measures to connect students with books that are at the right level to challenge, but not overwhelm them to optimize their reading growth. The Books in Spanish tool in Find a Book identifies Spanish-language books at specific Spanish Lexile text measures.
• Communicate student reading level and progress to parents. By using the Spanish Lexile reading and text measures to provide context for parents, you can communicate where students are in their Spanish reading comprehension development and show them how to support their child’s reading progress. 

Research Behind the Framework

The ranges for Spanish text complexity at various grade levels were derived from two comprehensive research projects conducted by MetaMetrics. 

• For detailed information on the text complexity continuum in grades 1-5, refer to the following source: MetaMetrics. (n.d.). The Spanish text complexity continuum in grades 1-5. MetaMetrics Inc. 
• Additionally, for insights into the text complexity continuum from grades 1-12, see: MetaMetrics. (n.d.). The Spanish text complexity continuum in grades 1-12. MetaMetrics Inc.