Create or Select a Passage
Now that you have selected a topic, search for or write a passage that does not infringe copyright* and has content that is relevant, interesting, and familiar to learners at the given level. The passages should be somewhere between 400-600 words in length. You may also choose parts of a passage or delete sections if the text is too long.
*More information about copyright and fair use can be found on this website https://edtechbooks.org/-Ewn
In summary, please ensure content you use:
-was not originally created for English language learning
-does not make profit
-will only be used in the classroom and is related to educational objectives
-is brief or a brief excerpt
And remember, you must include a link to the original content following the passage.
Level Passages
There are several analysis tools you may use to ensure that passages are appropriate for the given level. Texts may also need to be adapted and modified in order to reach the desired level. A description and example of how to do this will be given below.
Lexile and Quantile Tools “Text Analyzer”
If you would like to use the Lexile text analyzer, first you need to sign up for a premium account. This will require a yearly subscription and only allows you to analyze 50 measures per month with a maximum of 500 words for each analysis. Please read the instructions as outlined in their guide before using it: Metametrics.
The tool can only analyze text from magazine/web/newspaper/journal articles, passages, short stories, and books.
*It is important to note that this tool is not an official Lexile score and therefore you cannot publish the lexile measure. Instead, as indicated by the passages in this template, use the ACTFL level closest to the measure given.
Lexile Level Estimates
-
- Novice High: 200-400L
- Intermediate Low: 400-600L
- Intermediate Mid: 600-800L
- Intermediate High: 750-900L
- Advanced Low: 850-1000L
Additional Leveling Options:
If you do not want to use the lexile analyzer, there are a variety of other free options. It is recommended that you use several together in order to have a more accurate leveling since each source by itself may not have complete reliability.
Lextutor: https://lextutor.ca/vp/eng/
This website will show the number of vocabulary in the K1, K2, Academic, and off-word lists. Here is a short tutorial on how to navigate this tool:
Textalyser: https://edtechbooks.org/-sgZ
This website gives a score for Reading Ease. The text analysis section will also show other areas such as lexical density. The primary scores to utilize in the analyses are Gunning Fog, Coleman Liau, and the Smog Index.
Roadtogrammar: https://edtechbooks.org/-sCuH
This website is used to analyze text and give an estimated level for CEFR scores. However, a rough equivalent can be used to determine the ACTFL score.
Flesch-Kincaid Scoring: https://edtechbooks.org/-azBD
This website gives several results from the text analysis. The one that will primarily be used for leveling text is the Flesch Reading Ease (FRE) score.
These websites are a just a few suggestions. There are many other resources you may use to find lexile and readability scores. Here is an example of another website that gives similar information in different formats: https://voyant-tools.org/
The additional websites ranges and averages are given for novice high, intermediate mid, and advanced low levels.
Intermediate Low |
Lextutor (K1-K2) |
Reading Ease |
Gunning Fog |
Coleman Liau |
Smog Index |
CEFR |
FRE |
Average |
93% |
96% |
3.6 |
7.3 |
3 |
high A2 |
86 |
Range |
90-98% |
85-98% |
2.5-5 |
6.5-9.5 |
2-4 |
high A2-high B1 |
80-90 |
Intermediate Mid |
Lextutor (K1-K2) |
Reading Ease |
Gunning Fog |
Coleman Liau |
Smog Index |
CEFR |
FRE |
Average |
89% |
78% |
7 |
10 |
5.5 |
mid B1 |
60 |
Range |
85-95% |
60-85% |
5.5-8.5 |
8.5-13.5 |
4-7 |
B1-B2 |
45-80 |
Advanced Low |
Lextutor (K1-K2) |
Reading Ease |
Gunning Fog |
Coleman Liau |
Smog Index |
CEFR |
FRE |
Average |
89% |
71% |
9 |
10.5 |
7 |
mid B2 |
55 |
Range |
85-92% |
50-80% |
7-10.5 |
9-14.5 |
5-8.5 |
low-high B2 |
40-70 |
Comprehension Questions
An additional recommended resource to creating effective multiple choice questions can be found in this document: https://edtechbooks.org/-LgmM
Every passage should include 5-8 multiple choice comprehension questions following the passage based on the target level and abilities. Refer again to the ACTFL guidelines, the learning outcomes of your course, and the Rubrics as guides while you write these questions.
*Note: remember that these materials should be written from a student's perspective and not as lesson plans. Therefore, please write all content and instructions simply in a manner that student's can understand and follow.