Spache Readability Formula
Encyclopedia
The Spache Readability Formula is a readability test
for writing in English, designed by George Spache. It works best on texts that are for children up to fourth grade
. For older children, the Dale-Chall Readability Formula is more appropriate.
It was introduced in 1952 in Spache's "A new readability formula for primary-grade reading materials," (The Elementary School Journal, 53, 410-413), and has subsequently been revised.
s in a text to a set list of everyday words. The number of words per sentence and the percentage of unfamiliar words determine the reading age.
The original formula was:
The revised formula is:
Readability test
For the main article, see ReadabilityReadability tests, readability formulas, or readability metrics are formulae for evaluating the readability of text, usually by counting syllables, words, and sentences. Readability tests are often used as an alternative to conducting an actual statistical...
for writing in English, designed by George Spache. It works best on texts that are for children up to fourth grade
Fourth grade
Fourth grade is a year of education in the United States and many other nations. The fourth grade is the fourth school year after kindergarten. Students are usually 9 or 10 years old, depending on their birthday. It is a part of elementary school. In some parts of the United States, fourth grade...
. For older children, the Dale-Chall Readability Formula is more appropriate.
It was introduced in 1952 in Spache's "A new readability formula for primary-grade reading materials," (The Elementary School Journal, 53, 410-413), and has subsequently been revised.
Calculation
The method compares wordWord
In language, a word is the smallest free form that may be uttered in isolation with semantic or pragmatic content . This contrasts with a morpheme, which is the smallest unit of meaning but will not necessarily stand on its own...
s in a text to a set list of everyday words. The number of words per sentence and the percentage of unfamiliar words determine the reading age.
The original formula was:
The revised formula is:
Further reading
- Clarence R. Stone. "Measuring Difficulty of Primary Reading Material: A Constructive Criticism of Spache's Measure." The Elementary School Journal, Vol. 57, No. 1 (Oct., 1956), pp. 36-41