As more districts begin implementing the Common Core State Standards, text complexity is receiving a lot of discussion. It is important for educators to understand the numerous factors involved with text complexity and to have a wide range of strategies to support students with challenging text. This paper shares data from three elementary…

Provides tables to be used with the Spache Revised Readability Formula that decrease the number of necessary calculations. (MKM)

Discusses the accuracy of the Fog Index and the SMOG grade (two readability formulas) as predicators of readability. (MAI)

Suggests that the popular and simple readability formulas may not be accurate enough to predict the instructional materials best suited to the reading abilities of secondary school students. (FL)

Lists the dangers of readability formulas and concludes that while they may be a necessary evil, they should not be used as the underlying structure of a reading program. (FL)

Offers a case study of how one teacher used readability formulas to select the most appropriate materials for her students. Presents 10 suggestions that the teacher followed to avoid being tyrannized by the formulas. (FL)

Identifies problems in basal readers caused by writers' use of vocabulary control and readability formulas. Provides suggestions for more effective employment of the basal reader, including suggestions on how to teach students to construct meaning from less than perfect texts. (ARH)

Describes two modifications to the SMOG Readability Formula designed to make it more useful for primary and intermediate grade materials. (FL)

Investigates the readability level of written materials (such as notices or newsletters) sent by six all-day kindergartens/child-parent centers to parents of disadvantaged children. Found that the readability of the materials ranged from sixth grade to higher than college level, and that the mean level was midtenth grade. (ARH)