Reviews readability research and suggests priorities for future research in the area. (MKM)

The Dale-Chall Readability Formula and the Fry Readability Graph were used to analyze passages of Plato's "Parmenides," a notoriously difficult literary piece. The readability levels of the text ranged from fourth to eighth grade (Dale-Chall) and from sixth to tenth grade (Fry), indicating the limitations of the readability tests. (DF)

Describes study that was conducted to assess the readability of reference books recommended for use with children. Children's encyclopedias, adult encyclopedias, and subject reference books are analyzed, and linguistic analysis summarized in a reading formula and propositional analysis are used to measure idea density level. (50 references) (LRW)

Issues pertaining to language and reading while developing and adapting tests are examined. Strengths and limitations associated with the use of readability formulas are discussed. Their use should be confined to paragraphs and longer passages, not items. Readability methods that consider both quantitative and qualitative variables and are…

Examines the procedure for applying the Fog, Flesch, and Fry readability formulas to the Internal, Powerful Others, and Chance Scales and for modifying the instrument for use with adult basic education (ABE) students. (Author/CH)

Reports that the Fry readability graph can be adapted to measure Spanish readability at the primary level. (DD)

Discusses a method for accurately assessing the internal variations in the readability of a book. (TJ)

This is a conceptual paper, based on several semesters of collaboration in which the American author interacted with students in the Taiwanese author's EFL classes in Taiwan. The best native language users are typically those who read extensively, especially reading for pleasure in their youth. This gives them a large vocabulary and an intuitive…

English education in Japan and Korea are similar in some respects. Although both countries are not completely but mostly monolingual societies, where citizens do not need English in their daily life, they have begun to realize the importance of English as a tool for international communication, and as a result their English education is becoming…

In this study, multiple thematically based and quantitative analysis procedures were utilized to explore the effectiveness of Turkish chemistry and science textbooks in terms of their reflection of reform. The themes gender equity, questioning level, science vocabulary load, and readability level provided the conceptual framework for the analyses.…

Objectives: We compared two non-alternative methods to assess the readability and learning of easy-to-read educational health materials co-written by physicians, educators and citizens. Methods: Data from seven easy-to-read materials were analyzed. Readability formulae, and ad hoc data on readability and learning were also computed. Results: The…

This paper describes the Harris-Jacobson Readability Formula A, a revision of a readability formula based on word lists from "Basic Elementary Reading Vocabularies." Section one of the paper discusses procedures for using the formula, including the selection of samples, scoring the variables, and applying the formula. The next section…

Used readability formulas to calculate the difficulty level of randomly selected passages from 16 parent education publications. Reading levels varied by three or four grades in 15 of the 16 publications. At least high school level reading ability would be required to comprehend 10 of the publications. (Author/NRB)

Readability formulas may detract from textbook quality. They overlook text and reader characteristics that affect comprehension. Moreover, average "readability levels" ignore wide variations within texts and between scales. The shortened sentences and simplified vocabulary used to conform texts to formulas sacrifice precision and connectedness,…