Six sixth-grade science textbooks were examined for conceptual structure and readability. Hierarchical concept maps were composed on text segments for chosen topics and maps were scored. Reading analyses were also computed. Two trends were visually but not statistically evident. The Fry readability scores were higher than sixth grade, but no…

A study examined the relation between formula ratings and student perception of both readability and interest in developmental reading/study skills and intermediate composition texts. Subjects, 200 composition students and 96 study skills students, responded to the statements "this text was easy to read" and "the text chapters were…

Three main factors in textbook selection for distance education--readability, appropriateness, and availability--are examined in detail, and suggestions for adapting standardized texts to the needs of individual groups are provided. Twelve specific criteria are listed for determining the appropriateness of a text and textual factors influencing…

The U.S. Navy conducted a study to determine the readability grade level of materials used in its technical training schools curricula as a basis for (1) establishing minimal reading competencies for those schools, (2) identifying problem textual materials used in those schools, and (3) choosing additional school curricula for readability…

The Fry Readability Formula was used to determine the readability levels of 12 first and second grade basal texts. These texts were part of the Ginn 360, Ginn 720, and Macmillan Series "r" basal reader series. The results showed that 4 of the 12 books tested did not correspond closely to the publisher's readability levels. The Ginn 720 text for…

In response to the problem facing college faculties of choosing textbooks that are both "readable" by students and adequate in content coverage, a text selection process has been developed that can be used with or without the aid of a reading specialist. The first step in the process, a preliminary check, examines each proposed text's publication…

The subjects for this study were 81 freshman students who were taking courses in the social sciences at Herbert H. Lehman College in New York. A Nelson Denny Reading Test showed their average reading grade level to be 10.4 Twenty-three books in the social science areas were selected for appraisal, using such procedures as the application of a…

Textual Analysis of Language Samples (TEXAN) is a computer program which can count a number of variables needed for use in readability formulas. Three studies which utilize TEXAN are reported in this paper: (1) In 1972, Norman and Helen Felsenthal randomly selected 20 books from the 1306 in Eakin's "Good Books for Children" and calculated their…

Describes the development and the components of an instrument designed to assess the contents of educational materials. (JM)

Examines the practical side of readablility in the United Kingdom as well as some theoretical considerations focused on research on text difficulty, microcomputer prediction of difficulty, validity of cloze procedure, and the effect when students rewrite textbook prose. (HOD)

Using the Fry Readability approach and a ten percent random sample of all reading materials from each grade level within a program, readability data were collected on six popular elementary science textbook series. Fry readability averages and ranges for the six programs surveyed are reported by grade level. (Author/MK)

Answers questions most frequently asked about the cloze procedure; suggests using cloze exercises to gauge the suitability of reading materials, showing how the technique taps meaning derived from text and indexes both textual reading difficulty and students' comprehension ability. (AEA)

Presents results from an evaluation of several textbooks used in secondary and postsecondary technology education programs. Evaluation criteria included readability scores (grade level equivalencies), human interest, and writing style. A table depicts the results for 15 widely used textbooks. (AEF)

Proposing two major shifts in how to involve low readers more effectively in textbook learning, this book suggests that students, even those with low reading skills, can learn to use mainstream textbooks, and that textbooks can be designed to make them more usable for all students. The book presents a series of instructional techniques that…

An instrument to assist in assessing textbooks was created to provide a concise format for comparison and evaluation. Textbook characteristics were selected to illustrate content and proportion of characteristics of textbooks. Nine textbook characteristics were selected for quantifying the content areas of textbooks: (1) number of pages in the…