Activity 3-1:
Looking at Readability

Purpose: Participants will learn how to use a "readability" formula to check whether a given piece of writing will be easy to read for the parents who are the intended readers.

Materials
Handout 9, Overhead 2, Overhead 3, overhead projector.

Process
Introduce the activity by explaining that the FOG index is a tool you can use to get a general sense of the reading ease or difficulty of a text. Continue by stating that the reason that Robert Gunning called this formula
FOG is because it can help to take the "fog" out of writing, that is, to make written materials more clear and concise.

Introduce the FOG index using the information below.

What readability formulas do:

Readability formulas provide a rough estimate of the reading level of written material. They can be a useful tool for predicting whether a given piece of writing will be accessible to, or present difficulties for, intended readers.

The value of this readability formula:

The FOG index can be used to get a general sense of how hard or easy something is to read. It also can be used to compare two drafts of the same manuscript.

This formula can be used on texts that are at least 100 words or more. It is based on the following assumptions:

• Longer words are harder to read than shorter words.
• The shortest way of saying something is the easiest to read.

While these assumptions are not always true, they can be useful as a guide when writing in plain language.

How this readability formula works:

The FOG index assigns a fixed numerical score that indicates a "reading level" for the text. It measures the reading level of a text in terms of:

• The number of words per sentence; and
• The number of long words (words with three or more syllables).

Readability formulas provide a general sense of readability. They should be used as a guide but not as an absolute indicator of reading level.

Distribute Handout 9, Sample Reading Passages. Explain to the participants that these samples have been taken from program descriptions given to parents at actual Head Start centers.

Trainer Preparation Notes: This exercise will be easier to do if you provide a calculator for each group.

Ask participants to look over the four passages and think about which one they prefer to read and why. After five minutes, ask them to give you feedback to these questions:

• Which passage do you prefer to read?
• Why do you prefer that passage? (i.e., it was clear, personal, easier to read...).

Explain that one of the reasons more people prefer Passages #1 and #2 is that they are easier to read than Passages #3 and #4

Instruct participants to turn to page 3 of their handout, Instructions for Using the Fog Index. As you review the instructions, model the use of the readability formula by applying it to Passage #1. Use an overhead projector and Overheads 2 and 3 to do so.

Next, divide the participants into two groups.

Direct one group to work together to apply the Fog Index to Passage #2. The other group should apply the Fog Index to Passage #3.

Debriefing
Ask for a volunteer to read aloud Passage #1. Restate the reading level of that passage.

Ask a second volunteer to read aloud Passage #2. Ask the group that worked on this passage for its readability level.

Finally, ask a third volunteer to read aloud Passage #3. Ask the group that worked on this passage for its readability level.

Ask participants whether they find any relationship between how each passage sounded as it was read aloud and the reading level it was measured at.

Ask participants to restate the key variables measured by the FOG readability index (sentence length and word length).

If time permits, and the group is willing, apply the FOG index to Pas sage #4. This passage is taken through a complete rewrite Activity 3-5.

Trainer Preparation Notes: Some participants may say that they already have too much paperwork to do and won't ever have time to use a readability formula. Let them know that by comparing the four reading passages in this exercise, they have had a chance to "see" what different reading levels look like. They also have learned some of the variables (sentence and word length) that can make materials more difficult to read. Even if they never use a readability formula again, participants have gained experience that can help them create plain language materials in the future.

Module 3 | Activity 3-2

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