Readability Formulas

As teachers, especially in the content areas of math and science, we can sometimes forget that readability of the subject matter can have a significant effect on the success of a student.  Quite often we are handed text books and other materials that we have to work out of but other times we can actually choose materials from outside sources.  So how do we know if the content we choose is appropriate for the varied reading levels found within our classrooms?  

Luckily we have online resources like Fry Graph and Raygor Graph Readability Tool which is based on the well-known readability formula developed by Edward Fry.  The super easy to use calculator allows you to enter samples of text from the document you are interested in using and calculates the reading level of the content in a jiffy.  The tool also provides other information such as total number of words, repeated words, unique words etc. all of which contribute to the readability of the content.  This tool should be in every teacher’s toolbox since a busy teacher can assess the readability of what she plans to present within seconds and adjust accordingly so that all learners can benefit from the material.