It has been customary to simplify texts to increase their readability for young readers. Recent studies suggest that it is the predictability of texts that is the key to their readability and that simplification may actually create problems for the reader. (RBW)

Designed to alert adult basic education teachers to the factors of readability and to suggest ways that some readability problems can be alleviated, this resource unit discusses the problems posed by readability formulas and suggests that teachers must both press for more readable adult texts and question intelligently the products of publishers…

This paper discusses methods of teaching reading in the content areas at the middle school, junior high school, and secondary school levels. If a textbook is to be used, teachers should examine it by administering a readability formula and by checking the book's vocabulary, sentence patterns, and introduction of abstract concepts. To find how well…

Two readability formulas were applied to two math and two reading series textbooks at the fourth, fifth, and sixth grade levels to see whether the publishers' suggested reading levels were accurate. Five samples were taken from each text and compared to the publishers' suggested usage according to grade level. Results showed that although formulas…

To assist textbook adoption committees in answering the questions that arise as they consider basal reading series, this paper provides a discussion of readability. Following a brief introduction, the second section of the paper offers a background discussion of what readability really means. In addition, this section looks at three factors to…

Efforts of a junior-college staff to provide materials which students in college transfer, terminal, or noncredit programs can read are described. Since the community college has an open enrollment plan, the needs in this regard are widely varied. In order to meet those needs, a study was made of the 358 students in the college's initial…

This guide, one in a series of works dealing with adult literacy education, is designed to help adult reading program staff to select adult literacy materials. Examined in the first section of the guide are the commercially prepared basal and supplemental reading materials that are available for use in the Jefferson County Adult Reading Program…

The growing emphasis on reading in the foreign language classroom is examined from the standpoint of learning theory, learning strategies, and classroom practice. The reading process in the native language, the origin and application of new learning strategies in foreign language reading, and modifications and revisions in teaching practices are…