Gareth Stevens Publishing Adds Lexile Measures to More Than 500 Books for Young Readers

DURHAM, NC--(Marketwire - May 28, 2008) - Teachers, librarians, parents and students will now be able to use Lexile® measures to match readers with more than 500 titles from Gareth Stevens Publishing, as the result of an agreement between the library publisher and MetaMetrics® Inc., developer of The Lexile Framework® for Reading. Gareth Stevens joins more than 450 trade and textbook publishers who offer Lexile measures for their materials.

The Lexile Framework for Reading provides a common, developmental scale for matching reader ability and text difficulty. Lexile measures enable educators, parents and students to select targeted materials that can improve reading skills and to monitor reading growth across the curriculum, in the library and at home. Recognized as the most widely adopted reading measure, Lexile measures are part of reading and testing programs in the classroom and at the district and state levels. More than 100,000 books, 80 million articles and 60,000 Web sites have Lexile measures, and all major standardized tests can report student reading scores as Lexile measures.

The two companies kicked off this text measurement project with nonfiction titles from Gareth Stevens' list, such as the popular series of books, "Slim Goodbody's Inside Guide to Pets" and "Today's Superstars: Entertainment."

"By adding Lexile measures to our wide range of nonfiction books, we are now offering teachers, librarians and parents a powerful tool for connecting young readers with materials that match both their reading abilities and interests," said Pamela Sader, senior vice president for sales and marketing, Gareth Stevens Publishing.

Gareth Stevens publishes 300 new titles per year for grades preK-12 in all subject areas, including basic concepts, science, social studies, graphic novels and histories, mathematics, reading and language arts, as well as high-interest and high-interest/low-reading-level titles.

"We are pleased to work with Gareth Stevens to add its high-quality books for young readers to the growing number of books with Lexile measures," said Malbert Smith III, Ph.D., president, MetaMetrics. "When students read books that match their reading abilities and on topics that interest them, they build literacy skills and develop a lifelong love of reading."

The new titles with Lexile measures from Gareth Stevens will be added to the Lexile Book Database. All of the books in the Lexile Book Database are now searchable using MetaMetrics' "Find a Book" Web site. Young readers and parents can use this free Web site to quickly and easily select books that match their interests -- or school assignments -- and reading abilities. By simply visiting www.lexile.com/findabook on a computer at home or at the library, entering a Lexile measure and picking a favorite subject, users can view and print a custom "bookbag" of titles.

About Gareth Stevens Publishing

Gareth Stevens Publishing, one of the world's most respected library publishers, focuses on nonfiction titles aligned to meet curriculum objectives. Leading children to a lifetime of learning through high-quality, high-interest materials is the mission of Gareth Stevens, a division of the Weekly Reader Publishing Group. For more information, visit www.garethstevens.com.

About MetaMetrics Inc.

MetaMetrics Inc., a privately held educational measurement company, develops scientifically based measures of student achievement that link assessment with instruction, foster better educational practices and improve learning by matching students with materials that meet and challenge their abilities. The company's team of psychometricians developed the widely adopted Lexile Framework for Reading (www.Lexile.com); El Sistema Lexile para Leer, the Spanish-language version of the Lexile Framework; The Quantile Framework® for Mathematics (www.Quantiles.com); and The Lexile Framework for Writing. In addition to licensing Lexile and Quantile® measures to state departments of education, testing and instructional companies and publishers, MetaMetrics delivers professional development, resource measurement and customized consulting services. For more information, visit www.MetaMetricsInc.com.

Contact Information: For more information, press only: Audrey Mann Cronin Mann Cronin PR 914-861-2009 914-260-9651