Search Tips
1.
When should I use the Quick Find feature?

Use Quick Find (by Title, Author, or Keyword) if you have a good idea of the Titles you are looking for.

Quick Find By Title: Type in a title to generate a list of individual Titles and Collections.

Quick Find By Author: Type in any author's name (first, last, or a combination of both) to generate a list of Titles by that author.

Quick Find By Keyword: Type in a keyword (i.e., friendship) to generate a list of individual Titles that pertain to that keyword.

2.
When should I use the Search Titles feature?

Use Search Titles if you would like to see a variety of individual Titles based on specific criteria such as Interest Level, Lexile Level, Topic, Theme, etc.

3.
What are Lexile® Levels and how do I incorporate them into my search criteria?

Lexile measures exist for both text and readers. A Lexile text measure is the measure of reading difficulty given to text, based on syntactic complexity (sentence difficulty and length) and word frequency (how often the word is used in the English language). In determining a text's Lexile measure, the entire book is evaluated, not just select passages or pages as most readability measures use. In Reading Counts!, Lexile text measures range from 100 for beginning reader books such as A Kiss for Little Bear, through 1530 for The Good Earth, and higher. A Lexile reader measure indicates the reading level of the reader. This measure is best determined by administering Reading Inventory. By matching a Lexile reader measure with a Lexile text measure, you ensure a positive reading experience — one in which the right level of challenge and comfort exists. Include Lexile text measures in your search if you know your readers' Lexile measures. For the purpose of independent reading, expand the Lexile range you include to 250 Lexiles below the Lexile measure of the reader.

4.
What are Reading Levels and how do I incorporate them into my search criteria?

The Reading Level indicates the readability of the text by grade. It is a reflection of the grade level at which a student reading on grade could read the book independently. For instance, a student who is in the first month of fourth grade and reading on-grade would be well matched to a book with a Reading Level of 4.1. Each grade level has a range of .1 to .9. If you would like to search for titles appropriate for all of fourth grade, you should enter the range of 4.1 to 4.9.

5.
What is the source of the Reading Levels on titles found in the Reading Counts! library?

Reading Levels in Reading Counts! are taken directly from the publisher when they exist. For those books that do not have a determined publisher reading level, standard readability measures were used to assess the level. A team of librarians and teachers reviewed these Reading Levels, making adjustments when necessary based on their experience and expertise.

6.
My search generates too many results for me to look through easily. How can I reduce the number of results I get?

If you are searching Titles, and the search generates more Titles than you would like, you can click on Refine Search and select additional search criteria to narrow your results.

If you are searching Collections, and the search generates more Collections than you would like, you can click on Refine Search and remove some of the search criteria to narrow your results.

7.
My search is not generating any results at all. How can I change my search criteria so that I do get some results?

If your search has not generated any results at all, you may need to eliminate some of the criteria you have selected. You will obtain best results if you enter a value for either Reading Level or Lexile Level.