Expect+the+Unexpected

Did you know that many entry level jobs require you to read material comparable to college level books?

Even if you drop out of high school to get a full time job you must read at a college level and have a diploma. Even if its a job you don't think requires a lot of work. If you are a mechanic and you misread a technical manual and installation instructions you can have disastrous results.

Some of you are saying I don't have to read technical manuals. How about a loan, health plan, safety manual, filing taxes and so on? The Lexile (want to better understand Lexile) level of most of these documents are near college level textbooks. Don't believe it, keep reading some material adapted from the Kellar Institute at George Mason University.

What is a Lexile Measure?

 * A standard score developed by MetaMetrics®
 * Include two kinds of measures: the Lexile reader measure and the Lexile text measure. Students receive a Lexile reader measure as a score from a reading test – it describes his or her reading ability. Books and other texts receive a Lexile text measure from a software tool called the Lexile Analyzer – it describes the book’s reading demand or difficulty (The Lexile® Framework for Reading, 2012)
 * A score interpreted as the level of book that a student can read with 75% comprehension - 75% comprehension is the level identified by experts as offering the reader a certain amount of comfort and yet still offering a challenge
 * The most widely adopted reading measure in use today
 * Part of reading and testing programs at district, state, and federal levels (Williamson, 2004).

What is the Lexile Scale?
> (Georgia Department of Education, 2012)
 * Lexiles typically range from 200 for beginning readers to 1700 for advanced readers
 * Can be used to track reading growth over time

What are the reading demands during and after high school according to Lexile Measures?
**Median Text Measures (Williamson, 2004):**
 * 11th/12th grade (LA/SS textbooks): (1090L)
 * GED Test Materials: (1060L)
 * SAT/ACT Test Materials: (1180L)
 * Military (training/field manuals): (1180L)
 * Citizenship (newspapers, voting, jury): (1230L)
 * <span style="background-color: #eeeee0; font-family: Helvetica,Verdana,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Workplace (Daggett study materials): (1260L)
 * <span style="background-color: #eeeee0; font-family: Helvetica,Verdana,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Postsecondary - first two yrs. (textbooks): (1355L)
 * <span style="background-color: #eeeee0; font-family: Helvetica,Verdana,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-size: 12px; font-size: 14px;">University (1395L)
 * <span style="background-color: #eeeee0; font-family: Helvetica,Verdana,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-size: 12px; font-size: 14px;">Community College (1295L)

<span style="background-color: #eeeee0; font-family: Helvetica,Verdana,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">**__Newspapers (Daggett, 2003):__**
 * <span style="background-color: #eeeee0; font-family: Helvetica,Verdana,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">//Associated Press// (1310L)
 * <span style="background-color: #eeeee0; font-family: Helvetica,Verdana,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">//Wall Street Journal// (1320L)
 * <span style="background-color: #eeeee0; font-family: Helvetica,Verdana,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">//Washington Post// (1350L)
 * <span style="background-color: #eeeee0; font-family: Helvetica,Verdana,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">//NY Times// (1380L)
 * <span style="background-color: #eeeee0; font-family: Helvetica,Verdana,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">//Reuters// (1440L)

<span style="background-color: #eeeee0; font-family: Helvetica,Verdana,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">**__Personal Reading - Citizen Reading Materials (Williamson, 2004):__**
 * <span style="background-color: #eeeee0; font-family: Helvetica,Verdana,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">CD-DVD Player Instructions (1080L)
 * <span style="background-color: #eeeee0; font-family: Helvetica,Verdana,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">GM Protection Plan (1150L)
 * <span style="background-color: #eeeee0; font-family: Helvetica,Verdana,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Microsoft Windows User Manual (1150L)
 * <span style="background-color: #eeeee0; font-family: Helvetica,Verdana,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Installing Your Child Safety Seat (1170L)
 * <span style="background-color: #eeeee0; font-family: Helvetica,Verdana,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Federal Tax Form W-4 (1260L)
 * <span style="background-color: #eeeee0; font-family: Helvetica,Verdana,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Application for Student Loan (1270L)
 * <span style="background-color: #eeeee0; font-family: Helvetica,Verdana,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Medical Insurance Benefit Package (1280L)
 * <span style="background-color: #eeeee0; font-family: Helvetica,Verdana,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Aetna Health Care Discount Form (1360L)

<span style="background-color: #eeeee0; font-family: Helvetica,Verdana,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">**__Entry-level Occupational Reading Materials - Career Clusters (Daggett, 2003):__**
 * <span style="background-color: #eeeee0; font-family: Helvetica,Verdana,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Agriculture/Natural resources (1270-1510)
 * <span style="background-color: #eeeee0; font-family: Helvetica,Verdana,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Architecture/Construction (1210-1340L)
 * <span style="background-color: #eeeee0; font-family: Helvetica,Verdana,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Arts/AV Technology/Communications (1100-1190L)
 * <span style="background-color: #eeeee0; font-family: Helvetica,Verdana,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Business and Administration (1210 – 1310L)
 * <span style="background-color: #eeeee0; font-family: Helvetica,Verdana,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Education and Training (1320-1370L)
 * <span style="background-color: #eeeee0; font-family: Helvetica,Verdana,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Health Science (1260-1300L)
 * <span style="background-color: #eeeee0; font-family: Helvetica,Verdana,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Hospitality and Tourism (1230-1260L)
 * <span style="background-color: #eeeee0; font-family: Helvetica,Verdana,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Human Services (1050-1200L)
 * <span style="background-color: #eeeee0; font-family: Helvetica,Verdana,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Law and Public Safety (1420-1740L)
 * <span style="background-color: #eeeee0; font-family: Helvetica,Verdana,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Manufacturing (1200-1310L)
 * <span style="background-color: #eeeee0; font-family: Helvetica,Verdana,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Retail/Wholesale Sales and Service (1180-1270L)
 * <span style="background-color: #eeeee0; font-family: Helvetica,Verdana,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Scientific Research/Engineering (1190-1250L)
 * <span style="background-color: #eeeee0; font-family: Helvetica,Verdana,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Transportation, Distribution and Logistics (1170-1350L)

Some of you might still say I am not going to do any work. That is your choice. If you choose not to read click on the link (go to the second page of the Weekly Reading Log)to find out what you are doing to yourself..

At times some students fool around in school. Now is the time to develop good habits that will help you all your life Middle school students should fool around less than elementary school students. By high school you are transitioning to adulthood and If you don't develop self discipline and initiative you will not do well in college. Now is the time to develop good habits that will help you all your life.