Lexia PowerUp is a literacy program built for students in grades 6 through 12 who are struggling readers or have not yet reached grade-level proficiency in English language arts. Developed by Lexia Learning, the program combines online, student-driven lessons with offline, teacher-led instruction to close reading gaps and build the skills adolescent readers need for school and beyond. In short, PowerUp identifies exactly where a student’s reading skills fall short, then delivers personalized instruction to close that gap. It is used in schools, libraries, and increasingly at home, and it targets three specific literacy strands rather than reading in general.
What Is Lexia PowerUp Used For?
Lexia PowerUp Literacy is designed to enhance English language arts instruction for struggling and non-proficient readers in grades 6 through 12. Rather than replacing a school’s core curriculum, the program supports and builds on a student’s existing English Language Arts curriculum.
Instruction is designed to be delivered in 40 minutes of supplemental instruction per day, making it a targeted addition to regular classroom reading instruction rather than a full replacement for it. Schools, districts, and libraries use it primarily as an intervention tool for students who are behind grade level in reading.
How Does Lexia PowerUp Work?
PowerUp starts by figuring out exactly what each student already knows and where the gaps are. The program uses Lexia’s Assessment Without Testing approach, which provides data on a student’s current skill level and creates data-driven action plans that guide the right instruction for each learner. Based on that placement data, students are sorted into one of 180 unique placement profiles, so they start the program exactly where they need to be based on their abilities.
From there, students receive a weekly unit goal in each of the three skill areas of the program, and that target resets at the start of every week. Students move through personalized, systematic instruction that identifies skill gaps and prepares them to comprehend and engage with complex texts across a range of genres. Teachers can see this progress in real time through built-in reporting tools.
What Skill Areas Does Lexia PowerUp Cover?
PowerUp organizes instruction into three core strands: Word Study, Grammar, and Comprehension. These three strands work together to advance a student’s overall reading proficiency toward grade-level standards.
To keep struggling adolescent readers engaged with content built for their age group, PowerUp combines more than 100 high-interest authentic and original texts, age-appropriate artwork, instructional videos, game-based elements, and self-monitoring tools that encourage students to take ownership of their learning. The program also includes culturally responsive texts so students can see themselves reflected in what they read.
Who Is Lexia PowerUp Designed For?
PowerUp is built specifically for adolescent readers, not elementary students. It targets students in grades 6 through 12 who are at risk of not meeting college and career readiness standards in reading.
That range includes students who are several grade levels behind as well as those who are close to proficient but still need targeted support. Because instruction adapts to each student’s placement profile, the same program can serve a wide span of skill levels within a single classroom.
How Do Teachers and Schools Access Lexia PowerUp?
Lexia PowerUp is sold on an annual license, either per student or school-wide, and that license also gives students access to the program. Schools that adopt PowerUp also receive implementation support.
Included with purchase are implementation training and professional development, delivered through Learning Now videos and a range of teacher resources for continued guidance. Lexia also provides a dedicated customer success team that partners with schools and districts to customize training around their specific goals and timelines, including implementation planning, product training, and ongoing data coaching. For technical details on classroom setup, see Lexia’s official
Can Families Use Lexia PowerUp at Home?
Yes. Lexia has developed a version of PowerUp available for home use, aimed at non-proficient readers in grade 6 and above. Home licenses run for 12 months and include a 72-hour money-back guarantee, and they are not structured as ongoing subscriptions.
Through adaptive instruction and targeted skill-building, students using the home version work on grammar, vocabulary, and comprehension while building confidence and closing foundational gaps. This makes PowerUp an option for parents supplementing school instruction, not just for classroom use.
Conclusion
Lexia PowerUp gives struggling adolescent readers a structured, personalized path toward grade-level reading skills. By assessing each student’s abilities, targeting instruction across Word Study, Grammar, and Comprehension, and supporting both classroom and at-home use, the program addresses reading gaps with a level of specificity that generic reading practice cannot match.
Frequently Asked Questions
What grade levels does Lexia PowerUp serve?
Lexia PowerUp is designed for students in grades 6 through 12. It serves a wide range of readers, from those several grade levels behind to those close to meeting college and career readiness standards, using personalized placement profiles to match instruction to each student’s actual skill level.
How long are Lexia PowerUp sessions?
PowerUp is designed to be used for about 40 minutes of supplemental instruction per day. It is meant to work alongside a school’s existing English Language Arts curriculum rather than replace core classroom reading instruction entirely.
What three skill areas does Lexia PowerUp focus on?
Lexia PowerUp organizes instruction into three strands: Word Study, Grammar, and Comprehension. These strands work together to close specific skill gaps and advance a student’s overall reading proficiency toward grade-level standards.
Does Lexia PowerUp require a placement test?
PowerUp uses Lexia’s Assessment Without Testing approach instead of a traditional test. This method evaluates a student’s current skill level through their work in the program itself and places them into one of 180 unique profiles based on their abilities.
Is Lexia PowerUp available for home use?
Yes. Lexia offers a home version of PowerUp for non-proficient readers in grade 6 and above. Home licenses last 12 months, include a 72-hour money-back guarantee, and are not recurring subscriptions.
