I'm sure you're familiar with typical readability formulae (e.g.,
Flesch):  They are based on average length of words (in syllables or even
just in letters) and average sentence length (in words).   Obviously they
are very rough and unsophisticated and predict actual reading comprehension
in only broad strokes.    They lead to the conclusion that smaller words
and smaller sentences are better, which is a perfect operationalization of
the dumbing down of American speech and writing.

More compelling is the literature on document _usability_.  Much of this
has been adopted by the Plain English movement, document designers (are
your tax forms not a bit more intelligible--if no less painful--these
days?), folks who write for armed forces technical manuals, computer
documentation, etc.  The document usability perspective (best articulated
by Jenny Redisch, formerly of the American Institute for Research's
Document Design Center) acknowledges that sometimes a passive sentence is
wanted.  More important, there can't be any dogmatic stylistic
prescriptions; you simply have to write as a reader reads.

What makes readability formulae so handy is that they can be easily
applied.  Your word processor will do it with the click of a
mouse.  Document usability, on the other hand, usually must be assessed by
observing and querying real readers.

Ok, I feel better.  I cede the soap box to the next taker.

    Don Rubin

At 01:56 PM 1/24/01 -0800, you wrote:
>Hi All,
>
>I hope this question is not too off topic. I am
>working as an editor in a marketing department and as
>part of their style some communications must be
>written at a 6th grade reading level.  What they mean
>by this is that they should be fairly simple.
>Unfortunately they do not define what they mean by 6th
>grade level.  Since I have a background in
>linguistics, I volunteeered to try to come up with
>some substantive guidelines for what is a 6th grade
>reading level.   Can anyone point me to relevant
>references that address issues of reading difficulty
>or levels or even make some suggestions about what
>guidelines I can reccomend?
>
>
>Ed Keer
>
>
>__________________________________________________
>Do You Yahoo!?
>Yahoo! Auctions - Buy the things you want at great prices.
>http://auctions.yahoo.com/
>
>To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at:
>      http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html
>and select "Join or leave the list"
>
>Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/

Don Rubin
Faculty Associate for Academic Affairs
Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia
   (and Professor, University of Georgia Departments of
    Speech Communication and Language Education)
270 Washington Street SW, 6th Floor
Atlanta, GA 30334-1450  USA
voice: 404.657.1331     fax: 404.657.0336
email: [log in to unmask]

To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at:
     http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html
and select "Join or leave the list"

Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/