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Micro Power & Light Co.

Our readability software supports nine of the most popular readability formulas: Dale-Chall, Spache, Flesch Grade Level, Flesch Reading Ease, Fry Graph, SMOG, FOG, Powers-Sumner-Kearl, FORCAST

Our readability documentation stresses the critical need to edit materials in preparation for readability analyses.

Software used to determine the read- ability level of materials according to any of nine popular readability formulas.

Two computer programs - “Readability Calculations” that provides grade level scores, PLUS the “Vocabulary Assessor” which can identify the specific words likely difficult for intended readers.

Click to access all readability product pricing information and ordering guidelines for individuals as well as organizations.

readability software

performing

readability calculations

according to 9 of the most popular

readability formulas

plus

vocabulary assessor

and

readability scoring

service.

...

Screens central to formula scoring, word identification and material preparation.

A powerful implementation of the new Dale-Chall formula, of special interest to readability experts and organizations scoring large volumes and/or large files.

Preparation of Materials

We recommend pre-editing your materials.

Our 25-plus years of readability software experience reveals two common reasons for a formula’s score being obviously incorrect and unreliable.

 

Reason #1  The selected readability formula is not meant to be used in scoring the particular range or type of materials being evaluated.

 

Example 1:  If you use the Spache formula to score secondary materials... though the formula will calculate a score, it will almost certainly be unreliable. Why? The Spache formula is meant for use with primary and early elementary materials, through third (or at most fourth) grade.

 

Example 2:  If you use any of the formulas except FORCAST to evaluate only short phrases and headings as common in business forms

 

Solution:  Note and apply the formula descriptions as provided in our brief yet comprehensive user documentation accompanying the software.

 

Reason #2  The material contains formats, features and characters not usually present in normal narrative such as is assumed by the formula.

 

Example 1:  The material to be scored includes a number of  tables,  lists, headings, footnotes, etc.

 

Example 2:  The material contains numerous arithmetic, technical or scientific notations as well as symbols and characters not represented on the standard keyboard.

 

Example 3:  The material contains words and phrases in all upper case, for emphasis only; and “forced” hard returns used for formatting purposes only.

 

Example 4:  The material contains numerous proper nouns, some of which need to be identified as being of a certain type so that the formula can handle each appropriately.

 

Solution:  We identify and describe and our software supports a number of critical pre-editing guidelines:

 

•  In the user documentation accompanying the software.

 

•  In editing guidelines that are part of each appropriate formula screen.

 

•  In a separate and free “Prep Program” that can be used to pre-edit material before actually scoring it with the Readability Calculations software.

 

The Prep Program, and its associated User Guide, is included on the same CD that contains all the actual readability software itself. It comes as part of the total package, to ensure you have all the tools needed to obtain reliable scores!