scholarly journals Visual searh through word lists as a function of grade level, reading ability, and target repetition

1971 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 169-171 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ron Leslie ◽  
Robert C. Calfee
Keyword(s):  
Grade Level ◽  
Reading Ability ◽  
Word Lists ◽  
Target Repetition

Readability of Printed Patient Information for Epileptic Patients

2002 ◽  
Vol 36 (12) ◽  
pp. 1856-1861 ◽  
Author(s):  
David R Foster ◽  
Denise H Rhoney
Keyword(s):  
Patient Information ◽  
Grade Level ◽  
Reading Ability ◽  
Flesch Reading Ease ◽  
Disease States ◽  
Written Information ◽  
Average Patient ◽  
Ease Score ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Patients With Epilepsy

BACKGROUND: Written information can be a valuable tool in patient education. Studies evaluating written information for various disease states have frequently demonstrated that the majority of literature is written at a readability level that exceeds that of the average patient, and it has been recommended that written communications for adult patients should be provided at a fifth-grade level or lower. OBJECTIVE: To assess the readability of printed patient information available to patients with epilepsy. METHODS: Samples of written patient information (n = 101) were obtained from various sources. The information was classified based on source, content, and intended audience, and readability was assessed using the Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRES) and Flesch—Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL) score. RESULTS: The mean FRES and FKGL score for all samples were 50.2 and 9.4, respectively. Significant differences were observed in both the FRES and FKGL score of material obtained from different sources; however, no differences were observed when material was analyzed according to content. The mean FRES and FKGL score for materials intended for adults were 49.6 and 9.5, respectively. In comparison, mean FRES and FKGL scores for materials intended for children/adolescents were 78.9 and 5.3, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of information tested was written at a level that exceeds the reading ability of many patients. The information intended for children is actually written at the appropriate level for an adult. Efforts should be taken to develop written teaching tools that target low-level readers, especially for a disease state that affects many children.

scholarly journals Text Readability: A Snapshot

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-29
Author(s):  
Rafizah Mohd Rawian
Keyword(s):  
Language Learners ◽  
Grade Level ◽  
Reading Ability ◽  
Material Selection ◽  
Text Difficulty ◽  
Reading Material ◽  
Text Readability ◽  
Reading Materials ◽  
Readability Formula ◽  
Readability Formulas

Selecting suitable reading materials are taxing and challenging for many English instructors. Text readability analysis can be used to automate the process of reading material selection and also the assessment of reading ability for language learners. Readability formulas have been broadly used in determining text difficulty based on learners’ grade level. Based on mathematical calculations, a readability formula examines certain features of a text in order to provide best rough approximations as an indication of difficulty. This paper reflects some aspects and issues of readability analysis.

Reading Ability of Parents Compared With Reading Level of Pediatric Patient Education Materials

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 93 (3) ◽  
pp. 460-468 ◽  
Author(s):  
Terry C. Davis ◽  
E. J. Mayeaux ◽  
Doren Fredrickson ◽  
Joseph A. Bocchini ◽  
Robert H. Jackson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Grade Level ◽  
Reading Ability ◽  
Reading Level ◽  
Educational Materials ◽  
Wide Range Achievement Test ◽  
American Academy Of Pediatrics ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Pediatric Outpatients ◽  
Wide Range Achievement

Objectives. To test the reading ability of parents of pediatric outpatients and to compare their reading ability with the ability necessary to read commonly used educational materials; to compare individual reading grade levels with the levels of the last grade completed in school; and to further validate a new literacy screening test designed specifically for medical settings. Design. Prospective survey. Setting. Pediatrics outpatient clinic in a large, public university, teaching hospital. Participants. Three hundred ninety-six parents or other caretakers accompanying pediatric outpatients. Measurements. Demographics and educational status were assessed using a structured interview. Reading ability was tested using the Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine (REALM) and the Wide Range Achievement Test-Revised2. Written educational materials were assessed for readability levels with a computer program (Grammatik IV). Results. The mean score on the REALM for all parents placed them in the seventh to eighth grade reading range, despite the mean self-reported last grade completed in school being 11th grade 5th month. Wide Range Achievement Test-Revised2 scores correlated well with REALM scores (0.82). Eighty percent of 129 written materials from the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Centers for Disease Control, the March of Dimes, pharmaceutical companies, and commercially available baby books required at least a 10th grade reading level. Only 25% of 60 American Academy of Pediatrics items and 19% of all materials tested were written at less than a ninth grade level, and only 2% of all materials were written at less than a seventh grade level. Conclusion. This study demonstrates that parents' self-reported education level will not accurately indicate their reading ability. Testing is needed to screen at-risk parents for low reading levels. In a public health setting, a significant amount of available parent education materials and instructions require a higher reading level than most parents have achieved. In such settings, all materials probably should be written at less than a high school level if most parents are to be expected to read them. The REALM can easily be used in busy public health clinics to screen parents for reading ability.

Can a Student Sue the Schools for Educational Malpractice

1974 ◽  
Vol 44 (4) ◽  
pp. 416-436 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Abel
Keyword(s):  
San Francisco ◽  
Grade Level ◽  
Reading Ability ◽  
School Personnel ◽  
Educational Process ◽  
Fifth Grade ◽  
Direct Result ◽  
Legal Intervention ◽  
Educational Malpractice ◽  
Monetary Compensation

Legal intervention into the educational process has been limited largely to questions of equality of opportunity and resource distribution. A unique case, Peter Doe v. San Francisco Unified School District, now asks the court to help citizens hold schools responsible for the professional provision of their services. Peter Doe, a youth who could read only at fifth-grade level when he graduated from high school, claims that his low reading ability is the direct result of the negligence of San Francisco school personnel, and he is asking for monetary compensation for the injuries they have caused him. In this article, the author first treats the legal hurdles the Doe case must overcome simply to win a hearing before a jury. He then describes the issues likely to arise in arguing the case, and examines the repercussions, legal and educational, which Doe's negligence theory may provoke.

Brief Reports: A Search for Reading Difficulties among Erred Word Problems

1977 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 227-230
Author(s):  
J. Dan Knifong ◽  
Boyd D. Holtan
Keyword(s):  
School Children ◽  
Word Problems ◽  
Grade Level ◽  
Reading Ability ◽  
Reading Skills ◽  
Reading Difficulties ◽  
Decisive Role ◽  
Simple Arithmetic ◽  
Poor Reading ◽  
Weak Support

The most persistent assumption about children's difficulties with word problems is that reading plays a decisive role. This assumption is so embedded in professional thinking that it remains in spite of rather severe challenges and weak support (see Knifong & Holtan, 1976, for a review). It is acknowledged that if a child cannot read a problem, then he certainly cannot work it. It is further acknowledged that (a) it is possible to construct a word problem that can be solved by simple arithmetic operations but can be written in such a style that grade school children cannot decipher its meaning; and (b) a typical classroom will contain a few students, usually one or two, who are dramatically behind grade level in reading ability and probably other subjeets as well. The issue is not whether reading underlies success in word problems—that is assumed. Rather, the issue is whether poor reading skills typically contribute to failure, or whether failure is due to some other factor(s).

scholarly journals THE DEVELOPMENT AND READABILITY OF THE CONCUSSION QUALITY OF LIFE SCALE-YOUTH FOR ASSESSING HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE FOLLOWING SPORT-RELATED CONCUSSION

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (3_suppl) ◽  
pp. 2325967119S0000
Author(s):  
Tamara C. Valovich McLeod ◽  
Richelle M. Williams ◽  
Alison R. Snyder Valier ◽  
Hayley J. Root ◽  
Kenneth C. Lam ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Grade Level ◽  
Reading Ability ◽  
Sport Participation ◽  
Reading Level ◽  
Item Generation ◽  
Quality Of Life Scale ◽  
Initial Item ◽  
Computer Based

Background: While the assessment of symptoms, cognition, balance, and oculomotor function is common among sports medicine clinicians, there has been increased attention on assessing the patient’s perception of their health status following concussion. Recent recommendations suggest the use of patient-report outcome instruments (PROs) as part of the concussion evaluation to assess health-related quality of life (HRQOL) to aid in managing the injury. At present, there is not a concussion-specific PRO developed for the assessment of HRQOL in the pediatric population. Therefore, our purpose was to develop and assess the readability of a concussion-specific HRQOL measure, the Concussion Quality of Life Scale-Youth (CQOL-Y), using a mixed method approach. Methods: For instrument development and initial item generation, we analyzed prospectively collected data from three prior studies of HRQOL that used the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory, Multidimensional Fatigue Scale, Headache Impact Test, and Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System outcome scales. Additionally, categories and themes from a prospective qualitative study of HRQOL following concussion were analyzed. Item themes were included in the initial item generation if the item was endorsed by greater than 15% of participants at day 3 or day 10 post-injury. As part of the gap analysis, a review of the literature was also conducted for studies of HRQOL following concussion to determine domains affected after injury and to review individual items on the PROs utilized in those studies. For readability assessment, we used two approaches: participant-based and computer-based assessments. For participant-based assessment of readability sixteen participants (7 children; 10.3±1.4 years, 5.4±1.5 grade level; 9 adolescents 14.2±1.7 years, 9.4±1.6 grade level) were recruited. The San Diego Quick Assessment of Reading Ability was used to determine each participant’s reading grade level. Participants then read each item of the CQOL-Y and circled words that they did not understand. Frequency counts were determined for each word identified by participants, for each item, domain, and the total CQOL-Y. For computer-based assessment of readability, the Flesch Reading Ease (FRE) and Flesch-Kincaid Reading Level (FK) scores were calculated for each item, domain, and the total CQOL-Y. The FRE is scored 0-100, with lower scores indicating more difficult reading material. The FRE score is converted to the FK, an approximate reading level, ranging from pre-primer (<0) to college (>12), with higher reading level indicating more difficult reading material. Summary statistics were used to report scores for each item, domain, and the total CQOL-Y. Independent t-tests were used to determine whether differences existed between children (7-12 years) and adolescents (13-18 years) on the San Diego Quick Assessment of Reading Ability and the word difficulty endorsement. Results: For instrument development, after eliminating items that were endorsed by fewer than 15% of patients, we had a total of 27 items from the established PROs related to school and cognition, social, sleep and fatigue, activities of daily living, and sport participation that were reworded to be more specific to the athletic population. The gap analysis also identified a lack of emotion or mood related items. The initial item generation phase resulted in 50 HRQOL items and 3 single-item questions in the following domains identified as important to adolescents following concussion: cognitive and school (12 items), social (11 items), mood and emotions (13 items), sleep (8 items), and activities of daily living and sport participation (6 items). For participant-based assessment of readability, the average reading levels of the participants was 6.14±1.07 (range 5-8) in children and 8.78±1.40 (range 6-10) in adolescents, which was significantly different between groups (p=.001). For the total CQOL-Y scale, children identified difficulty with .44±.73 words (range 0-4) and adolescents identified 0.33±0.71 (range 0-2 words), which was not different between groups (p=.263). Among children, difficulty was noted with irritable, errands, isolated, and occurred, whereas adolescents identified irritable and cognitive. The computer-based readability analysis of the FRE for items ranged from 34.5 to 100. The FRE of the scale as a whole was 67.6 with domains ranging from 75.4-95.3. The FK reading level ranged from 0 to 9.8 across items with a total FK score of 5.6 and domain scores ranging from 2.2-5.6. Conclusion and Significance: Using a mixed methods approach to scale development, including context identification, concept elicitation, and item pool development, we have identified a 50-item scale to assess HRQOL following concussion. The initial analysis of readability suggests the overall scale was written at an appropriate reading level for children and adolescents. Future steps of scale development, including an expert panel review, item response theory model selection, item reduction, and field-testing will be conducted to improve readability of individual items and the patient acceptability of the CQOL-Y.

The Readability of Study Habit Books and College Students' Reading Ability

1978 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 97-101 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary A. Keetz
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Study Skills ◽  
Grade Level ◽  
Reading Ability ◽  
Study Habits ◽  
Reading Test ◽  
College Reading ◽  
State College ◽  
Study Habit ◽  
Reading Test Scores

This study was undertaken to determine the readability of a representative number of study habits books used in college reading and study skills courses and to compare their readability with the reading ability of the students who use them. The Davis Reading Test scores of 110 students enrolled in reading and study skills classes and of 1,145 entering freshmen at West Chester State College were compared with the Dale-Chall readability levels of 14 study habits books. From 4.5 to 43.6 percent of the 110 students enrolled in reading and study skills classes were below the grade-level placement of the 14 study habits books. Only one study habits book had a range of 5 to 9 grade-level placements. The findings suggested that the readability of study habits books, like other college texts analyzed in readability studies, were above the reading ability of a varying number of college students who used them. It was recommended that the findings be considered in the teaching of study habits and the writing of study habits books. The need for replicating the study in other college settings and with other study skills books and readibility measures was also noted.

scholarly journals Verbal Reports as Measures of Comprehension Evaluation

1989 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 295-307 ◽  
Author(s):  
DeWayne Moore ◽  
Karen Zabrucky
Keyword(s):  
Grade Level ◽  
Reading Ability ◽  
Verbal Report ◽  
Sixth Grade ◽  
Performance Measure ◽  
Verbal Reports ◽  
Young Readers ◽  
Lower Ability ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Passage Reading

The present study assessed several commonly used measures of children's comprehension evaluation ability. Third and sixth grade higher and lower ability readers (N= 120) read texts that either contained an inconsistency or did not. Following each passage reading, six measures of comprehension evaluation were obtained: one performance measure and five commonly used verbal report measures. The results revealed that different verbal report measures are not comparable measures of children's comprehension evaluation ability. The verbal report measures were differently affected by grade level, reading ability, and text variables. Moreover, the verbal report measures did not all relate equally to comprehension evaluation performance and relationships between verbal reports and performance were stronger for higher ability readers and young readers. The results suggest that caution is needed in interpreting studies using verbal report measures in isolation to assess children's evaluation skills, and that the use of poorly defined verbal report measures may be one factor contributing to inconsistent findings concerning the development of such skills.

Metacognitive Abilities of Above and below Average Readers: Effects of Conceptual Tempo, Passage Level, and Error Type on Error Detection

1985 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 235-252 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lawrence G. Erickson ◽  
Steven A. Stahl ◽  
Steven D. Rinehart
Keyword(s):  
Error Detection ◽  
Grade Level ◽  
Reading Ability ◽  
Sixth Grade ◽  
Metacognitive Skills ◽  
Error Type ◽  
Difficulty Judgment ◽  
Average Readers ◽  
Below Average Readers ◽  
Conceptual Tempo

A number of researchers have suggested recently that differences between good and poor comprehenders lie in differences in metacognitive skills. This study examines one of the paradigms used to measure metacognitive skill–the error detection task. Seventy-four above and below grade level sixth graders were asked to detect order changes and nonsense word substitutions in third-grade and sixth-grade level passages. It was found that conceptual tempo (impulsivity/reflectivity), passage readability, and error type, as well as reading ability, all influenced the performance of these children on the error detection tasks. No differences were found between above and below average readers on two other metacognitive tasks, a reading difficulty judgment, and a knowledge and purposes of reading interview. Results indicate that conceptual tempo should be considered in any explanation of the relationship between metacognitive monitoring and reading ability.

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