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…

The development of the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills test involves input from educators across the state. The development process attempts to create an assessment that reflects the skills and content understanding of students at the tested grade level. This study attempts to determine other factors that can affect student performance on…

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)

Special education elementary students (N=271) were tested on three reading passages; six readability formulas were applied to the passages. Rank orderings of the passages based on readability formulas failed to agree with those based on students' actual performance. Implications for measuring students' reading proficiency and for selecting…

Research indicates that three samples may not give a good indication of a workbook's narrative readability level. (MKM)

Provides a chart to be used with the Dale-Chall Readability Formula to simplify computation of readability level. (MKM)

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

Provides tables to be used with the Spache Revised Readability Formula that decrease the number of necessary calculations. (MKM)

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

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…