Bruce said:
I have a set of literature which must be comprehensible to the
fifth-grade reader. Some of these documents are rated with 12th
grade Flesch-Kinkaid scores. Is there a tool which will conveniently
assist in addressing issues of style and vocabulary within these
documents?
Hi Bruce,
The best tool is the one atop your shoulders. Machines are getting "smarter"
but are still comparative idiots.
Look at the formula for the grade score
(
http://csep.psyc.memphis.edu/cohmetrix/readabilityresearch.htm). It
measures the average number of syllables per word and the average number of
words per sentence. The discussion on that page explains why the grade score
isn't a reliable predictor of reader comprehension -- I believe many
educators now consider it nearly useless.
One way to reduce the grade score is by choosing synonyms with fewer
syllables. You can do that with the help of Word's thesaurus feature. The
hard part is selecting synonyms that don't change the meaning, connotation,
or emphasis of the sentence.
The other way to reduce the score is by shortening the sentences and making
them less complex. I know of no mechanical aids for this task, but it yields
the greatest improvements in readability. For example, see the comparisons
at
http://www.occc.state.tx.us/pages/Legal/plain_lang/PLcomp.htm.
