Readability has been gauged by such means as determining the length of individual words in a passage, analyzing types of sentences, and assessing numbers of subordinate clauses, prepositional phrases, modifiers, and so on. Probably the most successful formula has been the Dale-Chall method, which measures readability by determining the percentage…

Describes an adjustment factor which makes readability formulas more accurate. (RB)

On the assumption that the verbal complexity of written examination materials used to select personnel for a job should be similar to the verbal complexity of materials that must be read and understood on the job, the Flesch Reading Ease Index was applied to samples of the reading materials required for successful entry-level job performance in…

THE READABILITY OF ANY BOOK IS DETERMINED BY WORDS AND SENTENCES WHICH ARE USED AND WHICH VARY IN DIFFICULTY FROM EASY TO HARD. PRESENTED HERE IS A PROCEDURE BY WHICH TEACHERS CAN DETERMINE THE READABILITY INDEX OF ANY BOOK AND TRANSLATE THE INDEX TO GRADE LEVELS. THE METHODS EMPLOYED IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF READABILITY FORMULAS AND WORD LISTS ARE…

Answers questions most frequently asked about the cloze procedure; suggests using cloze exercises to gauge the suitability of reading materials, showing how the technique taps meaning derived from text and indexes both textual reading difficulty and students' comprehension ability. (AEA)

In a study of the readability of Air Force regulations, the writer-estimated reading grade level (RGL) for each regulation was rechecked by using the FORCAST readability formula. In four of the seven cases, the regulation writers underestimated the RGL of their regulation by more than one grade level. None of the writers produced a document with…

Suggests thirteen diagnostic strategies by which teachers can examine students' abilities and implement appropriate learning activities. (RL)

This study developed procedures for teachers to use in ranking the reading difficulty level of student-authored materials in the primary grades. Two procedures were developed: the word procedure for assessment of reading difficulty levels of vocabulary, and the two-four procedure for assessing reading difficulty level of sentence structure.…

In 1978 the New York State Board of Regents initiated action to establish statewide high school graduation standards for reading comprehension. The process began by measuring the readability levels of materials used in core courses and materials that adults normally read (newspapers, news magazines, and feature magazines). To do this,…

This handbook contains activities and resources designed to help school librarians identify, analyze, and select appropriate and useful ethnic studies materials. It is presented in four major sections. Section I examines ways of defining ethnic groups, presents sample census tables showing the social characteristics of residents by race for the…