The papers included in this collection represent as closely as possible the content and organization of the oral presentations delivered at a March 1980 conference on the use of readability formulas. The papers discuss the following topics: (1) an introduction to the conference, with general remarks on the uses and criticism of readability formulas; (2) the development of readability formulas and attendant problems in the validation of readability formulas; (3) readability formulas and the definition of the task of reading; (4) cases where readability formulas do not work well, including television captions for the deaf, elementary school tradebooks, reading comprehension tests, remedial reading texts, and basal readers; (5) lowering the reading difficulty level of texts intended for adults, with implications for "plain language" in legal documents; (6) readability formulas and the adaptations of texts; (7) the comprehension of captioned television; and (8) arguments against some uses of readability formulas, with suggested alternatives to readability formulas. (RL)