Comprehension Testing Cloze Procedure Test
c Compute the percentage of words outside the date list of
3,000 words.
d
Compute this equation:
Score = .1579PDW + .0496ASL + 3.6365 Where:
Score = reading grade of a reader who can answer one-half of the questions on a passage.
PDW = Percentage of Difficult Words words not on the Dale
– Chall word list ASL = Average Sentence Length in words.
49
The chart for correcting the grade-level scores at the higher grades is as follow:
50
Table 2.1 The Grade-level Scores
Formula Score Corrected Grade Levels
4.9 and below Grade 4 and below
5.0 and 5.9 Grade 5
– 6 6.0 and 6.9
Grade 7 – 8
7.0 and 7.9 Grade 9
– 10 8.0 and 8.9
Grade 11 – 12
9.0 and 9.9 Grade 13
– 15 college 10 and above
Grade 16 and above college graduates
2 The Flesch Reading Ease Formula
The Flesch Reading Ease Formula is said to be a simple formula to assess the readability or the difficulty of
reading passage written in English.
51
Chall and Klare in DuBay state “Flesch‟s Reading Ease Formula became the
most widely used formula and one of the most tested and
49
DuBay, op. cit.., p. 24.
50
Ibid.
51
Readability Formulas, The Flesch Reading Ease Readability Formula, 2013, http:www.readabilityformulas.comflesch-reading-ease-readability-formula.php
.
reliable.”
52
For this reason, the writer would like to use this formula to measure the readability of selected texts.
The specific formula of The Flesch Reading Ease
Formula is as follows:
Score = 206.835 – 1.015 x ASL – 84.6 x ASW
Where: Score = position on a scale of 0 difficult to 100 easy, with
30 = very difficult and 70 = suitable for adult audiences. ASL = average sentence length the number of words divided
by the number of sentence. ASW = average number of syllable per word the number of
syllables divided by the number of words.
53
The Flesch Reading Ease Score is as follows:
Table 2.2 The Flesch Reading Ease Score
54
Reading Ease Score
Style Description Estimated
Reading Grade
90 – 100
Very Easy 5
th
grade 80
– 89 Easy
6
th
grade 70
– 79 Fairly Easy
7
th
grade 60
– 69 Standard
8
th
and 9
th
grade 50
– 59 Fairly Difficult
10
th
to 12
th
grade 30
– 49 Difficult
13
th
to 16
th
grade – 29
Very Difficult College graduate
3 The Fry Readability Estimate
This formula is developed by Edward Fry. The procedure of this formula is as follow:
52
DuBay, op. cit., p. 22.
53
Ibid.
54
Ibid.
a Choose three typical passages of 100 words each
form near the beginning, middle and end of the text.
b Count the number of sentences in each passage to
the nearest 0.1 of a sentence. Add the three totals and divide by 3. The answer is A, the average
number of sentences in 100 words.
c Count the number of syllables in each passage. Add
the three totals and divide by three. The answer is B, the average number of syllables in 100 words.
d Plot the answer, A and B.
55
Furher, DuBay also gives directions in applying this formula. They are:
a Select samples of 100 words.
b Find y vertical, the average number of sentences
per 100-word passage calculating o the nearest tenth.
c Find x horizontal, the average number of syllables
per 100-word sample. d
The zone where the two coordinates meet shows the grade store
56
4 The SMOG Index
This formula is developed by G. Harry McLaughlin in 1969. McLaughlin believes that word length and
sentence length should not be added, but be multiplied.
57
This formula is used by counting the number of words of more than two syllables polysyllable count in 30
sentences. The simple formula of this SMOG Index is:
SMOG Grading = 3 + square root of polysyllable count.
58
The procedure in applying this formula is as follows:
a Choose three passages of ten sentences each from
near the beginning, middle and end of the text.
55
Nuttal, op. cit., p. 27 – 28.
56
DuBay, op. cit., p. 45-46.
57
Ibid., p. 47.
58
Ibid.