DOUGLAS COLLEGE

 

 

TO: Faculty
FROM:
RE Readabilit

y of Textbooks

Sandra Carpenter, Reading Consultant

+
INTER OFFICE MEMO. 2:

DaTE: June 6, 1975

Last fall, we printed a readability formula for use in determining the difficulty
Since at this time of year, you may be examining new text-
books for use in the fall, we have decided to reprint the formula.

of your textbooks.

‘SMOG Grading Formula (simplified)

 

1. Count off 10 sentences at the beginning, 10 in the middle and

10 at th

e end of an article.

2. Count every word of 3 or more syllables in your 30 sentences.
3. Estimate the square root of the sum of your big words.

kh, Add 3 to

This equals

the square root.

the grade level.

In addition, you may want to consider one of Rudolph Flesch's reference charts

for determining dif

ficulty of material. ©

 

Words in Number of Typical Estimated Percent

Average ’ Syllables Magazine Grade of

Sentence per Level U.5%

100 words Adults

Very Easy 8 or less 123 comics 5th 90
Easy 11 131 pulp fiction 6th 86
Fairly Easy 14 139 slick fiction 7th 80
Standard 17 147 digests 8th & 9th = 75
Fairly Difficult 21 i: quality 1Oth-12th 40
Difficult 25 167 academic 13th-16th 24
Very Difficult 29 or more 192 scientific Graduate, hy