The Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy (CCSS-ELA) were adopted by approximately forty states (though in some cases, with significant revisions). However, researchers are still trying to understand how teachers are implementing the CCSS-ELA at the ground level--that is, in actual ELA classrooms. The CCSS-ELA call for…

What is meant by text complexity is a measurement of how challenging a particular text is to read. There are a myriad of different ways of explaining what makes text challenging to read, from the sophistication of the vocabulary employed to the length of its sentences to even measurements of how the text as a whole coheres. Research shows that no…

Describes the use and advantages of a computer version of the Gunning Fog Index. Presents the program for input and use on a Radio Shack TRS-80 computer. (HTH)

Provides a microcomputer program that will calculate readability levels using Rix, a new, short readability formula. (FL)

Shows some similarities and differences between readability formulas and leveling procedures and reports some current large-scale uses of readability formulas. Presents a dictionary definition of readability and leveling, and a history and background of readability and leveling. Discusses what goes into determining readability and leveling scores.…

Among the problems of using readability formulas in education are: reporting standardized scores as grade levels is often meaningless since in a single grade classroom there may be children reading two or three grades above or below grade placement; social mobility, busing policies, and changed patterns of living have increased the heterogeneity…

Presents a computerized readability scoring system that allows for the calculation and comparison of several formulas with no corresponding increase in teacher effort. (FL)

This report presents information regarding Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) guidelines as they relate to the Accelerated Reader program. The report states that a student's zone of proximal development is the range of book readability levels that will challenge a student without causing frustration or loss of motivation. It discusses factors…

This paper on readability begins with a brief discussion of comprehension, including a definition, and then lists factors that influence comprehension, such as knowledge of vocabulary, long passages that are ambiguous, digressions, and unnecessary restatements. The paper then explores readability and presents a graph for estimating readability and…

The six tables presented in this paper were prepared in the belief that more educators would use the Harris-Jacobson Readability Formulas if the operations employed in those formulas to determine the estimated readability level of materials could be completed more quickly and with fewer calculations. Instructions for using the tables are included.…

Argues that, while computers make the computation of readability formulas easy, teachers should not forget the need to apply judgment and common sense to the results. Discusses RIXRATE, a computerized version of the Rix index and compares its performance to that of the Rauding Scale. (FL)

Four readability formulas were analyzed to determine the reading grade equivalence of instructional materials at the middle grades and above: the Dale-Chall formula, the Gunning-Fog Index, the Flesch Reading Ease Formula, and the McLaughlin SMOG Grading. In addition, Spache and Wheeler/Smith formulas were analyzed for evaluating primary grade…

Suggests that common sense be applied when calculating text readability using a microcomputer. (CRH)

The Lexile Framework provides teachers with tools to help them link the results of reading assessment with subsequent instruction, focuses on appropriate-level curriculum for readers at all educational levels, and is designed to be flexible enough to use alongside any type of reading program. Suggested areas for application of this system include:…

Describes research conducted in France on text readability and suggests that readability formulas give high scores to redundant texts that have no great interest and penalize texts with original information. Argues that a coefficient should be incorporated into readability formulas that reflects the nature of the text. (MKM)