Calculating Reading Levels

prepared by Kate Todd

for
Reading Instruction and Children’s Books
Over 30 readability formulas
• Mathematical equations using:
¤ Syllables in a word
¤ Words in sentence
¤ Sentences in a paragraph
¤ Book length

• Sometimes use
¤ List of “familiar” words
SMOG Readability Formula
• Published by G. Harry McLaughlin in 1969
• Simple Measure of Gobbledygook
• Formula:
Number of
Grade = Polysyllabic
words
+
3
• McLaughlin is British educator
Lexile Framework for Reading
• Used by Scholastic Reading Counts
• Lexile levels reported in numbers from
200L to 1700L
• Designed to match a student reading level
with a book level
• Should test both student and book
• However conversion charts are available
that match a Lexile level with a grade level
 Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level
• Rudolf Flesch wrote Why Johnny Can’t
Read in 1955 attacking Sight Words
• Flesch had previously developed a
readability formula in 1948
• J. Peter Kincaid adapted Flesch formula
for use by U.S Navy in the 1970s
• Kincaid then partnered with Microsoft to
include the formula in Word programs
 ATOS (Advantage/TASA Open Standard)
• Unique formula developed by Accelerated
Reader
• Determines reading difficulty based on
¤ semantic difficulty (word length, frequency,
familiarity)
¤ syntactic difficulty (sentence length)
¤ book length
• Developed with Touchstone Applied Science
Associates
Calculating Reading Levels

prepared by Kate Todd

for
Reading Instruction and Children’s Books