Scholastic Literacy Pro | FAQs

What is Literacy Pro™?

Literacy Pro™ is an online assessment and reading programme which supports teachers in nurturing proficient readers. The platform measures pupils’ reading abilities via the Lexile® framework and features an online library of diverse reading materials with accompanying quizzes to support independent reading.

• provides a benchmarking assessment to screen pupils’ reading level.
• tracks growth through generated reports that allow immediate follow-up actions.
• matches pupils to levelled texts and makes personalised reading recommendations.
• builds reading comprehension and communication skills.
• provides measurement tools that track pupils’ effort, progress, and success.

What age is Literacy Pro™ suitable for?

Literacy Pro™ supports reading for pupils aged 5 to 18 who read at Lexile levels up to 1500L+. The LitPro Test is recommended for pupils who can read and are aged 6+.

Where is Literacy Pro™ available?

Literacy Pro™ is available on desktop and mobile devices within Scholastic’s web-based platform, the Scholastic Learning Zone. This platform provides educators and pupils access to a portfolio of digital education resources.

How can teachers incorporate Literacy Pro™ into their curriculum?

Educators can incorporate Literacy Pro™ into their curriculum by following these seven steps:

1. Administer the LitPro Test – establish the Lexile measure for your pupils.
2. Set goals – work with your pupils to establish individual, group, and class goals.
3. Recommend books – guide pupils through the book selection process.
4. Encourage pupils involvement – keep pupils reading.
5. Monitor Progress – use programme reports to see how well pupils are reading.
6. Discuss with pupils – meet with pupils regularly to discuss goals and use the reports dashboard to assess performance.
7. Reward reading achievements – create a viable reward and recognition system for pupils.

How can Literacy Pro™ help encourage pupils to read more?

Teachers can use Literacy Pro™ to encourage pupils to read books from their Recommended Reading Lists and set reading goals.

• Recommended Reading Lists: The Recommended Reading List offers book recommendations for pupils based on their Lexile measure and reading interests. Their personal online bookshelf is updated regularly with new titles to keep pupils engaged.
• Setting goals with pupils: Goals in Literacy Pro™ can be set using a variety of metrics based on year level, reading level, or pupil interests. Whilst group goals can be used, pupils who struggle to read might initially require personalised goals.

What is the system compatibility to access Literacy Pro™?

The following browsers and operating systems are compatible with Literacy Pro™:

• Internet Explorer 9.x or 10.x, 11.x Windows 7, Windows 8.x, Windows 10.x
• Safari 5.x or higher, Mac OS 10.x, IOS 9.x
• Firefox 10.x or higher, Windows 7, Windows 8.x, Windows 10.x, Mac OS 10.x, Android 6.x, IOS 9.x
• Chrome 23 or higher, Windows 7, Windows 8.x, Windows 10.x, Mac OS 10.x, Android 6.x, IOS 9.x

How can families get involved in their child’s reading journey?

Families can access the Family Zone via the pupil dashboard and access their child’s Lexile score, reading interests and reading report. They can monitor their child’s reading progress and offer further encouragement by rewarding them with certificates.

How does the programme personalise learning for each individual pupil?

Teachers use the results generated in Literacy Pro™ to plan appropriate support and action that’s tailored to each individual pupil, ultimately allowing them to read suitable books and foster a love for reading.

What specific literacy skills does Literacy Pro™ focus on?

Literacy Pro™ focuses on developing pupils’ reading skills by helping find the right book for the right child at the right time, allowing them to build reading mileage and encouraging reading for pleasure.

“Reading for Pleasure is the single most important indicator of a child’s future success” – OECD, 2002

Reading books at the right level helps extend vocabulary and enhance comprehension skills such as understanding text structures, identifying sequences, summarising and synthesising, drawing conclusions, etc.

Can the programme be easily integrated into the existing curriculum?

Literacy Pro™ can easily be integrated into the curriculum as an online reading companion for pupils.

What is the methodology or approach used in the programme?

Literacy Pro™ measures pupils’ reading abilities via the Lexile® framework and provides age appropriate, personalised recommended reading lists matched to their reading ability (Lexile level) and interests. Reading books at the right level helps pupils progress in their reading abilities, extend vocabulary and enhance comprehension skills such as understanding text structures, identifying sequences, summarising and synthesising, drawing conclusions, etc.

The Lexile levelled eBooks in the Literacy Pro™ eLibrary provides an online library for pupils to cultivate their interest in reading.

What kind of books does Literacy Pro™ have in its library?

Literacy Pro™ contains many thousands of book quizzes for “real” fiction and non-fiction books that pupils will want to read from Goosebumps to Horrid Henry.

The Literacy Pro™ eLibrary has thousands of high-interest fiction and non-fiction eBooks that are sourced from all over the world, covering a variety of themes and subject areas across reading levels. Featuring a diverse range of voices and perspectives, these books allow pupils to experience a variety of different of backgrounds and cultures.

How many books are there in Literacy Pro™?

There are about 3,050 eBooks currently available in Literacy Pro™ with new ones added on a monthly basis.

Do all books in Literacy Pro™ have quizzes?

No, not all of the eBooks have quizzes but the majority do and they are all Lexile levelled.

How often are new books added to Literacy Pro™?

New eBooks are added to the Literacy Pro™ elibrary every month, and new quizzes are added to Literacy Pro™ each term.

How can a school use the library match feature?

Literacy Pro’s™ unique library match feature identifies books in your school or classroom libraries. Administrators can upload a list of books available in school (the ISBN, Title and Author) and Literacy Pro™ will highlight the book quizzes that match. Please note that Literacy Pro™ is not a library management system so while we can indicate that the school has a particular title, we cannot say where in the school it is located nor whether that book has been borrowed by another reader.

Please see our ‘How to Guides’ on the Training Page for more detailed instruction on how to do a library match for your school. Updated Literacy Pro™ guides coming soon.

How does a teacher know whether a pupil has understood what they have read?

Once a pupil has finished reading a book from their recommended reading list they should take a book quiz to determine whether they have understood what they have read. Teachers may also assign book quizzes to pupils. Teachers can view quiz scores and also access pupil reports, such as the Class Quiz Activity Report to show data derived from quiz scores of the whole class.

What is the Lexile® Framework for Reading?

The Lexile® Framework for Reading is a scientific approach to understanding the reading relationship between the text and the learner. The Lexile scale can be used to measure both the complexity of a text and the reading ability of a learner.

A Lexile learner or pupil measure represents a person’s reading ability on the Lexile scale. A Lexile text measure represents a text’s difficulty level on the Lexile scale. When used together, they can help a reader choose a book or other reading material that is at an appropriate difficulty level. The Lexile pupil measure can also be used to monitor a reader’s growth in reading ability over time and acclimatise them to the reading demands of the real world.

What are the letters in front of the Lexile measure?

When a book is written for a specific use or style that may be of interest to end users, MetaMetrics provides codes to accompany the Lexile measure. ‘BR’ is placed with Beginning Reading material, ‘AD’ indicates Adult Directed books written for adults to read aloud , ‘HL’ denotes books of High interest but Low complexity, ‘IG’ indicates Illustrated Guides, and ‘GN’ is used for Graphic Novels.

What is the relationship between a learner’s Lexile measure and targeted reading?

Learners that read books at their reported Lexile measure can expect an estimated 75% comprehension rate. This 75% comprehension rate is called “targeted” reading and is based on independent reading. If the reader receives assistance, the comprehension rate will increase.

Reading books that measure 100L below and 50L above the learner’s Lexile measure is considered the optimal reading range for reading growth. Texts in this range should be challenging enough to facilitate reading growth, but not so much that they lead to frustration. For example, if a reader has a Lexile measure of 1000L, they will be predicted to comprehend approximately 75% of a book with the same Lexile measure (1000L).

What kinds of texts have a Lexile measure?

Lexile measures assess the complexity of prose text, but not all texts are appropriate for analysis. Texts such as lists, recipes, poetry, and song lyrics are not analysed because they lack conventional punctuation. Only standard prose and informational or literary texts are appropriate for analysis.

How can a learner find the right Lexile range?

A Lexile reading range spans 50L above to 100L below a learner’s Lexile measure. For example, a 500L learner can stretch their ability by selecting books from 400L to 550L based on their 75% comprehension rate measure. That same reader may also select easier independent reading material set on a forecasted 90% comprehension rate between 150L to 300L.

What do “benchmarks” on books mean?

Benchmarks are Lexile level ranges that indicate proficiency levels for pupils at given years in primary through to secondary school. Currently, Literacy Pro™ offers benchmarks that are correlated to US standards, international standards for non-native English speaking pupils, and for several other locations (Hong Kong, Singapore, and India). Schools will be able to select the pre-defined benchmark that is relevant to them to monitor their pupils’ proficiency levels.

How do learners find books in their Lexile range in Literacy Pro™?

After the learners take the LitPro Test, they are assigned a Lexile score and can now choose their reading interests from a list of categories. Literacy Pro’s™ proprietary smart engine keeps each pupil’s bookshelf refreshed with books in the Lexile range and based on their reading interests. Learners and educators can also use the Search function to choose books under different Lexile ranges. The Lexile info appears on the Book Summary page.

How should I interpret Lexile text measures with the BR code?

Lexile text measures can range from below 0L to above 1600L. When a text is below 0L, a BR (Beginning Reader) code is reported. These Lexile measures are shown as BR followed by a number and L (e.g., BR150L). The Lexile scale is like a thermometer, with numbers below zero indicating decreasing text difficulty as you get further away from zero. The larger the number following the BR code, the less challenging the text is. For example, a BR200L text is less challenging than a BR150L text. Above 0L, a 200L text is more challenging than a 150L text.

Why does the Global English Language Learners benchmark often define a higher starting point for certain proficiency bands compared to the Literacy Pro™ Standard benchmark?

This is because of the analysis of the actual texts used in defining the proficiency bands. Texts for Global English Language Learners may be more complex compared to those for native speakers as these are more finely graded and there is a better understanding regarding language complexity and development among curriculum content developers. It is recommended that the Literacy Pro™ Standard benchmark be used for international schools while the Global English Language Learners benchmark be used for bilingual schools.

What type of assessments are included in the programme?

Literacy Pro™ offers the LitPro Test and the LitPro Reading Comprehension Skills Test, as well as accompanying book quizzes to track pupils’ progress and understanding of what they have read.

What is the LitPro Test?

The LitPro Lexile Test is a research-based (Metametrics), fast, adaptive, and reliable online assessment that provides valuable insight into a pupil’s reading level, and measures their reading comprehension of authentic fiction and non-fiction texts. Each pupil receives a Lexile reading measure when they complete the LitPro Test.

How can the LitPro Test help determine pupils’ reading levels?

The LitPro Test is a computer-adaptive test that adjusts item difficulty to pupils’ responses. When the pupil answers a question correctly, the Lexile of the next question increases. When the pupil answers a question incorrectly, the Lexile of the next question decreases. The assessment stops once the pupil has answered a sufficient number of questions to determine an accurate Lexile measure.

How long does the LitPro Test take?

The LitPro Test takes about 20-25 minutes.

How many times a year should pupils take the LitPro Test?

It is recommended that pupils take at least three tests per year.

What is the Reading Comprehension Skills Test?

The Reading Pro Comprehension Skills Test is a browser-based program that is used to assess pupils’ proficiency in 10 key reading comprehension skills. Each test comprises 50 questions with 5 questions assessing each skill.

The tests are available at 6 different levels (3 tests for each level). Each level features a different Lexile range. Teachers and Administrators can assign the tests, view reports and track the results by class/pupils. Pupils can take the tests that are assigned to them and view results.

The reports screen shows skill-based reports for all the tests taken at the class level and pupil level. Teachers can use this information to monitor class and individual pupil performance across skills/tests.

How long does the Reading Comprehension Skills Test take?

To complete the Test in full please allow approximately an hour plus a break.

This test contains 50 questions, with one question in the middle being a designated break where pupils log-off (all progress is saved automatically) and come back at a later time to complete the remainder of the questions.

How many times a year should pupils take the Reading Comprehension Skills Test?

Each of the six levels has three tests to be taken at the beginning, middle and end of the year.

Does the programme offer assessments to measure pupil progress and adjust support accordingly?

Yes, The LitPro Test provides a Lexile score each time it is taken, which can be followed throughout the pupils’ academic career to track reading progress.

Book quizzes also help to assess pupils’ understanding of what they have read. All of these results are all presented in reports that provide further insights for teachers to adjust their support accordingly.

What is a book quiz?

A book quiz is a short multiple choice quiz that a pupil can takes after reading a book. These quizzes test basic reading comprehension skills and track the books that each pupil reads. Upon successfully passing the quiz, pupils can review the book, giving a rating and feedback. The number of words in the book are also ‘banked’ into the pupils total words read. Each quiz passes contributes towards built in motivational schemes such as reading certificates.

What does a book quiz test a pupil on?

• has read the book.
• has basic comprehension of the book.
• is able to engage with the text at the level provided.

• straightforward questions with non-ambiguous answers.
• highlighted answer choices so that pupils know when they have selected an answer.
• randomly selected sets of questions and answers to support quiz retakes and group work.
• varied quiz question formats to include embedded cloze, modified cloze, direct questions, and complete-the-stem questions to help pupils think about their responses.

How can a pupil take a book quiz?

Pupils can take a book quiz after reading a book. To find the quiz, pupils can go to the Search feature and look up the book title. Teachers may also assign quizzes to their pupils for them to take.

How are Literacy Pro™ quizzes unique?

The quizzes include 10 questions randomly pulled from a bank of up to 30 possible questions. The order of questions is not pre-determined and the multiple-choice answers to each question are also presented in a random order, so pupils can sit take the same quiz side by side, and teachers can be confident that they will not be able to share answers. If pupils choose to retake a quiz, they will receive different questions to truly assess their comprehension rather than their memorisation ability.

How can teachers assign an eBook to their pupil(s)?

To assign an eBook, click the “Assign” button under the book title. A pop-up will appear for you to select either individual pupils or the entire class to assign the book to. Then, click the “Assign to Students” button.

How can teachers assign a Collection to individual pupils or the whole class?

To assign a Collection of eBooks, click the Collection’s overlay button “Assign”. There will be an “Assign to” pop-up for you to select either the entire class, or individuals to assign the Collection to. After your selection, click the “Assign to Students” button. You will receive a confirmation message.

Are there opportunities for teacher-led instruction and support within Literacy Pro™?

Yes, Literacy Pro™ eLibrary offers instructional materials for teachers to use in their classrooms.

What kind of instructional material does Literacy Pro™ have?

Literacy Pro™ eLibrary offers three kinds of instructional material: Audio Read-Alouds, Interactive Read-Alouds (IRA), and Read & Think (R&T). For more information on these different types of instructional content, please refer to our user guide or the below questions and answers.

What is an Interactive Read-Alouds (IRA)?

Interactive Read-Alouds (IRA) is a feature added to book titles that provides resources including lesson plans and downloadable worksheets, as well as a new whole-class presentation format of the books for a more interactive read-aloud experience.

What is Read & Think (R&T)?

Read & Think is a scaffolded reading experience within Literacy Pro™ eLibrary that approximates the independent reading experience. It enables and empowers every reader to read proficiently, by providing prompts and questions at strategic points within the text. These help the reader to process information and develop a deeper understanding of the text.

How can I use Literacy Pro™ to support my Guided Reading instruction?

Literacy Pro™ includes benchmark titles with the associated teaching support for every level (A-Z) of the Guided Reading framework.

What is the A-Z Guided Reading Framework?

This is an American text levelling system which measures text complexity to support differentiated instruction. The Learning A-Z Text Leveling System looks at both quantitative and qualitative measures to determine the level of a text. Their Level Correlation Chart compares with other levelling systems (such as Reading Recovery or PM levels) which may be more familiar to UK teachers.

How can I find books with GR benchmarks?

You are able to easily find the books with GR benchmarks through the search filter in the eBook library.

How can I find books with IRA and/or R&T?

You are able to easily find the books with IRA and/or R&T through the search filter in the eBook library.

How are the Literacy Pro™ reports generated?

Literacy Pro™ analyses results from the LitPro Test and book quizzes, and tracks pupils’ reading levels over time. This information is presented in a series of clear, understandable reports that will help to track reading growth and evaluate progress towards proficiency goals.

The Comprehension Skills Test results are reported separately and do not affect the Literacy Pro™ Reports.

How can Literacy Pro™ reports help teachers and administrators?

• review Lexile measures, performance standards, and normative information at individual, class, year, school, and school group levels to detect trends in reading growth.
• match pupil interests and reading skills to appropriate books.
• identify pupils, classes, and schools that are not actively participating in the independent reading programme.
• review book quiz pass rates, quiz success rates, and reading performance of individual pupils based on the number of books read and average Lexile level.

What types of reports does Literacy Pro™ offer?

Literacy Pro™ generates different kinds of reports for individual pupils, classes, or year levels.

What different kinds of pupil progress can the Literacy Pro™ reports track?

Literacy Pro™ measures pupils’ reading levels over time, test scores, and other useful information to enable teachers to assess their pupils’ levels and abilities and plan their support accordingly.

Are teachers able to generate data to compare pupils across different classes or the entire year?

Yes, teachers are able to generate reports across different classes and years.

Where does a teacher generate a report in Literacy Pro™?

A teacher can easily generate reports through the “Reports” section in Literacy Pro™. Reports that are frequently used are also available at the teacher’s dashboard.

Is there a dashboard or reporting feature that allows a teacher to track pupil progress?

Yes, the teacher dashboard contains useful data and reports that allow teachers to track pupil progress. Besides the dashboard, teachers are also able to view the wide range of reports in the Reports section to track different types of pupil progress.

Does the programme provide feedback and progress reports for both pupils and teachers?

Yes, Literacy Pro™ provides feedback and progress reports for both pupils and teachers. The pupil dashboard is designed to be a reading companion that tracks pupil progress across their years. Similarly, the teacher dashboard presents actionable data and insights at a glance that helps track reading outcomes at individual, class, school, and district levels.

Who should I contact to find further information about Literacy Pro™?

To find out more about Scholastic Literacy Pro™, please email literacypro@scholastic.co.uk or contact your local education consultant.

Is there a product demo that I can take a look at before purchasing Literacy Pro™?

You can watch our demo video to get a better understanding of how Literacy Pro™ works!

What type of technical support is provided for teachers and pupils using the programme?

Going forward there will be a chatbot available within Literacy Pro™ to answer your immediate questions. If there are any unresolved queries, please feel free to contact your education consultant or literacypro@scholastic.co.uk and they will be able to assist you.

How much does Scholastic Literacy Pro™ cost?

Please contact literacypro@scholastic.co.uk for more information on pricing. We will need to know how many pupils and staff members will be using the programme.

Where can I find out more about your privacy and data policies?

You can find out more about our privacy and data policies by clicking the links below:

Scholastic Literacy Pro™
Scholastic Learning Zone
Scholastic Learning Zone (Young Person’s Version)
Scholastic Learning Zone Young Person (Young Person’s Version) Text Version