The texts in the textbooks are one of the basic materials in terms of conveying elements such as achievement, value, and competence in the curriculum. The fact that the texts are suitable for the level of the students helps the students understand and analyze the text better. In this study, it is aimed at determining the readability levels of the…

The authors present a 20-item inventory for textbook selection designed to supplement the Fry Formula or the Raygor Estimate readability tests. The authors argue that a harmonious relationship should exist between the text, its author, its intended readers, and the instructor. (Author/PGD)

Advocates using the cloze procedure and varying the criteria of success, according to the group, in order to determine the readability of instructional materials. (MKM)

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)

Textbook publishers are under attack for producing books that are superficial in content and oversimplified or confusing in language. They respond that their products are the inevitable result of applying the many textbook selection formulas to book production. Efforts by educators to improve textbooks are currently being organized. (PGD)

Readability formulas typically yield results stated as a number or grade equivalent. However, results of one formula may not be compared to another because formulas use different criteria to measure readability. A description of eight popular formulas illustrate this point. Suggests that other factors be considered when selecting reading…

Discusses appropriate reading material selection in light of content area reading instruction. Presents some ideas for determining the difficulty level of textbooks and other materials. Concludes that teaching reading in the content areas is one way to focus on the process of reading as an instrument to develop cognitive skills and thought…

Three readability formulas are described, evaluated, and applied to selected textbook passages. However, the present state of the art indicates that, at best, teachers can gain only a very rough estimate of readability level from the existing diagnostic measures. (Author/NHM)

The Raygor Readability Estimate, described in this article, is much like the widely used Fry Readability Graph, except that it determines vocabulary difficulty by counting words of six or more letters, rather than by counting syllables. An evaluation found that Raygor was faster and easier to use and more objective than the Fry method. (RM)

Presents a checklist developed by the International Reading Association's Committee for Basic Education and Reading, which is designed to help teachers select materials to meet the special needs and interests of adult basic education learners and to make objective judgments based on a clear evaluation process. (MKM)

A study examined 58 home economics education textbooks in terms of reading difficulty, writing style, and interest level for special population learners. The objective was to identify texts, using six different readability formulas that were significantly more difficult and provided educational obstacles to special populations in their preparation…

Discusses a study designed to explore teachers' attitudes toward text selection, focusing on text characteristics and reasons for a particular selection. (AEA)

Provides a check list of evaluation criteria to supplement the SMOG readability formula in choosing new content area textbooks. (Author/KS)

Shows how a number of readability measures developed in English were applied to a textbook written in Hindi. Emphasizes that the more recent approaches to readability that focus on syntax, conceptual difficulty, and organization are a teacher's best help in selecting materials for students. (SR)

In response to the problem facing college faculties of choosing textbooks that are both "readable" by students and adequate in content coverage, a text selection process has been developed that can be used with or without the aid of a reading specialist. The first step in the process, a preliminary check, examines each proposed text's publication…