[senco-forum] readability test?

Hi Mary
  This is the quickest way I know and it is on a handout which is in my 'Teachers' SEN Information Pack:

  To check the reading age of texts

  In Word

   Make sure ‘Show readability statistics’ is ticked.  (Tools – options – spelling and grammar – tick box near the bottom)  
   Spellcheck  
   When the Readability Statistics come up, you need to look at the bottom of that screen to the Flesch-Kincaid Index.
  This tells you what American School Grade pupils who are expected to read unaided are in.
  Add 1.
  This gives our year.

  For example, a Flesch-Kincaid Index of 8 means that only half of year 9 can read the piece unaided.  This is what makes English SATs so difficult.
  The Dyslexia Friendly School report, which is aimed at adults, has a Flesch-Kincaid index of 11.2 so three quarters of Year 11 would need help to read it.

  This piece has a Flesch-Kincaid Index of 6.7 so over half of Year 7 would need help to read it.

  Please try this on worksheets and information for pupils.

  I am not suggesting that you should ‘dumb down’.  I am hoping that you already know that what you give pupils to read is at the appropriate level.

  End of handout.

  You can also say that you add 5 to the F-K index number and you get a reading age.  Some staff find this easy to manage.  However, when I wrote the above, I was trying to do what you are doing - raise the awareness of the few teachers who don't seem to think about making written materials age appropriate.

  Amanda
  Secondary SENCO
  Cornwall

Mary Gill <marygill839 at hotmail.com> wrote:

Hello
I would like to test the readability of some worksheets that are being use in school to show the teacher how inaccessible they are! I have forgotten the method to use - has anyone got any suggestions and where I can get the test from? I want it to show approximate reading ages.
Thank you for your help as usual
Mary
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Amanda
Secondary SENCO
Cornwall