Indicates that newspapers are as readable today as they were in 1904, although the complexity of language they use has increased. Shows that magazines were significantly more readable than the newspapers published during the same time periods. (RL)

Reports that the McCall-Crabbs Standard Test Lessons in Reading were never sufficiently standardized to justify their widespread use as the basis for readability formulae. (DD)

When cloze and maze scores are compared with teacher judgment in establishing the independent, instructional, and fustration levels of students, both techniques tend to overestimate a child's ability. (HOD)

This paper presents guidelines for improving instructional text under three main headings: prose and grammatical features; tables and graphs; and typographical design. The paper has been printed in such a way as to illustrate the points made. (Author)

Analyzes aspects of language in three novels and their film adaptations. Gives examples of how the films reshaped the novels; speculates about the relationships between language, content, and media; and offers suggestions for instruction. (SR)

Suggests Internet resources can assist teachers in meeting the needs of struggling readers with "just right" books. Addresses using the Internet in determining a child's reading level, determining a book's reading level, and ensuring students' access to reading materials. (RS)

Describes the attempt of the General Studies and Education Division of Laramie County Community College, Wyoming, to provide interested faculty members with readability information about their textbooks. Notes that faculty became more aware of the factors making their textbooks difficult for students. (RS)

Discusses a preliminary study of the effect of ballot interface design on voting behavior. Finds significant problems related to human factors and the organization of information on the ballot on mechanical and electronic voting machines. (RS)

Finds that 204 high school students preferred newspapers that used accompanying materials, such as pullout quotes and many, although smaller, photographs. Notes that writing style and the use of color had little influence. (RS)

Submits expert use of anaphoric "this" to a cloze procedure for comprehensive analysis. Finds that current stylistic guidelines proscribing unattended "this" are overstated; and "attended this" (a demonstrative adjective introducing a noun phrase) is best employed when synonyms for the antecedent and descriptive…

Discusses the challenges of research writing and presents techniques for writers to follow that will aid in making their research writing readable and understandable for the intended audience. Suggestions include questions to address, and tips, hints, and reminders to improve writing skills. (JMV)

Three passages that differed in accessibility but not linguistic difficulty were read by 52 11-year-old remedial readers, focusing on words read correctly. Readers were able to use linguistic cues to solve difficult words. Context dependency was affected both by decoding ability and text accessibility. (SK)

Instructional implications of recent reading research are reviewed along with the issue of text readability and the intermediate/advanced language student. A generic approach to the teaching of literary works in a third-year transitional course is then proposed. A student worksheet and recall protocol exercise are appended. (Contains 19…

Provides recommendations for designing computer screens that will have positive effects on readability and learning. Topics discussed include the use of capital versus lower case letters; interlinear space; line length; and strategies that aid recall, including the use of chunks and margins, and the location of information in relation to graphics.…

Uses a computerized style checker to analyze 14 direct-mail letters used to market books to a middle-class female audience. Outlines methods for correlating stylistic traits with sales success. Finds that letter effectiveness is enhanced by lowering readability levels, as well as by limiting the use of negative words and modifiers. (PRA)