Readability

Question: How accurate are readability formulas?

Answer: “There are easy ways to get a readability estimate. [Italics are in the original document.] …. If you don’t have a computer available, use Edward Fry’s graph. It requires little more than counting the numbers of sentences and syllables in some text samples…. But don’t forget that all graphs and formulae are imperfect in determining how easy or difficult a passage or book may be. Factors such as student interest and background in a topic, how clear the author’s writing style is, how fully the author explains the topic, and whether graphic aids are included, etc., are not measured. Formulae are only rough estimates of difficulty.” Pp. 923-924.

 Fry readability formula

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

See the Internet for a copy of the graph.

The Fry readability formula (or Fry readability graph) is a readability metric for English texts, developed by Edward Fry.

The grade reading level (or reading difficulty level) is calculated by the average number of sentences (y-axis) and syllables (x-axis) per hundred words. These averages are plotted onto a specific graph; the intersection of the average number of sentences and the average number of syllables determines the reading level of the content.

The formula and graph are often used to provide a common standard by which the readability of documents can be measured. It is sometimes used for regulatory purposes, such as in healthcare, to ensure publications have a level of readability that is understandable and accessible by a wider portion of the population.

To calculate a grade level score:

Randomly select three separate 100 word passages. (Count every word including proper nouns, initializations, and numerals.)

1. Count the number of sentences in each 100 word sample (estimate to nearest tenth).
2. Count the number of syllables in each 100 word sample. (Each numeral is a syllable. For example, 2007 is 5 syllables -- two-thou-sand-se-ven -- and one word.)
3. Plot the average sentence length and the average number of syllables on the graph.
4. The area in which it falls is the approximate grade

Title: “Q & A.” John J. Pikulski. The Reading Teacher (May 1984), 923-924.

Students' Motivation

Question: How can teachers motivate students to stay on task?

 Answer/Quote: “Basically, motivation for staying on task translates into the concept of caring about what you are doing. This is, indeed, the single most significant prerequisite for all learning.”

“The magic to inspiring student motivation for staying on task lies in the teacher’s commitment to helping students find personal meaning in what they are doing.”

 Comment: A tall order. But at least consider: Why is learning this important to the student? In ways that the students will understand? I’m afraid that I did not often consider “What’s in it for me?” from the students’ point of view. I should have. RayS.

Title: “Motivational Strategies for Staying on Task.” Gail Garber. The Reading Teacher (May 1984), 920.

Teachers' Wait-time

Question: Does teachers’ wait- time before students answer questions affect achievement?

Answer/Quote: “One reflection of teacher expectations is wait- time, the length of time a teacher waits for a child to begin responding to a question. Teacher expectations sometimes lead teachers to behave differently toward different groups of students. For example, teachers tend to give more wait- time to high achievers. This is significant, because giving more wait time has been found actually to produce higher achievement.”

Quote: “During math instruction, American teachers give more wait-time to boys than to girls, according to a recent study published in The Journal of Educational Research (May/June 1983). Done year after  year, this difference in wait-time could have a cumulative effect on boys’ and girls’ math performance, perhaps being one reason girls gradually withdraw from math.”

Quote: “One way to counter this tendency is for teachers to mentally count off the seconds of wait-time, as by silently counting ‘A thousand and one, a thousand and two,….’ And so on. Try it—you may be surprised how few seconds of wait-time you give your students, and to whom you give the most or the least.”

Comment: One of those things you never think of. This research opened my eyes. RayS.

Title: “Wait for an Answer.” The Reading Teacher (May 1984), 908.

Young Children and Writing Difficulty

Question: Why is writing difficult for young children?

Answer: “At the close of his book Writing, Donald Graves said, ‘Children grow as writers because they wrestle with imbalances between their intentions and the problems at hand.’ For those who know the work of Graves, this summarizes his perspective that children have the same desire to write that they do to talk or play. As children encounter problems and overcome them, growth occurs. The obstacles of spelling, motor coordination, grammatical conventions, topical focus, and revision are surmounted as writing matures, according to Graves.” P. 906.

Add to these obstacles, the differences between narrative and opinion (expository) structures of writing. Story Structure:  “This traditional story structure included (1) the initiating event, (2) description of the feelings and characteristics of the characters, (3) a center plot with a hero pursuing a goal, (4) consequences and (5) a resolution.” P. 967.

On the other hand the structure for opinions (exposition) has been summed up by the famous dictum: “Tell them what you are going to tell them; tell them; and tell them what you told them.”

Comment: Donald Graves may believe that children write as naturally as they talk and play, but there’s a whole lot of stuff that has to be taught before children’s writing matures. As in the preceding article, a good place to begin is with the language experience approach (LEA). RayS.

Title: “Research Views: Expression of Narrative and Opinion.” John T. Guthrie. The Reading Teacher (May 1984), 906-908.

Language Experience Appproach to Reading

Question: How can young students be introduced to reading?

Answer/Quote: “The language experience approach (LEA) to reading instruction receives plaudits both in practice and research literature. It motivates students to want to read and effectively demonstrates the connection between spoken and written language. The use of a student’s own language and background of experiences encourages acquisition of a reading vocabulary as well as comprehension of the printed word. P. 867.

Begin with a stimulus—“anything that will prompt a discussion, such as an object, animal, toy, field trip, holiday, person, special event or picture.”

After discussion, students dictate their story and it is recorded on chart paper by the teacher. The teacher then reads the dictated story, reads it again with the children, then highlights words and phrases and asks children to try to read what is on the chart paper.

Comment: Useful also with students, younger or older, whose native language is not English. RayS.

Title: “The Language Experience Approach to Reading: Recurring Questions and Their Answers.” B Mallon and R Berglund. The Reading Teacher (May 1984), 867-871.

Reading Comprehension: Visualization

Question: How can teaching students to visualize information help improve comprehension?

Answer/Quote: “Consistently cause students to visualize information.” P. 833.

Quote: “As you read aloud to students, have them create images.” P. 834.

Quote: “When students review material or prepare for a quiz, guide them to recall the picture they previously created.” P. 834.

 Quote: “Remember to apply these visualization strategies to expository as well as narrative material.” P. 834.

 Comment: The idea of visualization also applies to spelling. Harry Shefter in Six Minutes a Day to Perfect Spelling,” shows how to “blow up” or enlarge the “trouble spot” in a word that is usually misspelled (“arGUMent) and then adds a silly association to complete the visualization: “Never chew GUM in an arGUMent.” RayS.

Title: “Neurolinguistic Application to the Remediation of Reading Problems.” DG Arnold and B Swaby. The Reading Teacher (May 1984), 831-834.

Reading Comprehension Strategy

Question: What is an effective strategy to help students improve their comprehension?

Answer: Teach them to underline, First, show them how to underline and when.

Comment: I’m an inveterate underliner. Underlining is valuable for a lifetime of reading. RayS.

Title: “Show Me Your Underlinings: A Strategy to Teach Comprehension.” EJ Poostey. The Reading Teacher (May 1984), 528-530.