Today, we are going to assess our READABILITY, which means the personal grade level we are writing at. We are going to do this by means of a formula developed by Edward Fry: the so-called "Fry graph."
What we need:
3 text samples written by you with EXACTLY 100 words each.
STEP 1: Go to your class blog, and find three of your comments (or your own reading summary, if you have written one already). Copy and paste the three texts into a blank Word document.
TASK 1:
Now, cut down each of these three 100-words samples down to EXACTLY 100 words. You can use the word count of Microsoft Word by pasting your blog comment into a Word document, or you can copy and paste it into the word count tool. Simply delete all the words over 100, even if you have to stop in the middle of a sentence.
1) Count the number of sentences in your 100 words sample. (If you had less than 100 words, add more by either inventing them, or pasting another one of your blog comments right behind it. The content does not matter, only the number of words (100). If you had more, just stop after having counted up to 100, and delete the rest.) Estimate the length of your last sentence, even if incomplete, to the nearest 1/10. Example: 5.4 sentences for your first sample of 100 words, 3.7 for your second, and 6 for your third.
2) Count the number of syllables in your 100 words sample. You can use the syllable count tool again to count your syllables.
3) Make a table as seen in these INSTRUCTIONS. Draw this table on the handout I give you, because you will receive points for it, and I will collect it at the end of today's lesson!
4) Do the same for your second and third 100-words sample.
5) Total your numbers, and average them. (A little bit of math ;-)). You can use the Microsoft calculator ;-)
7) Make ONE SINGLE dot on the FRY GRAPH I distributed in class where your personal readability lies. Write your name on the handout with your graph and your table, and submit it to your teacher for grading (I'm not grading the height of your readability, only the fact that you participated and understood the procedure!) There are no make-ups for this assignment.
HOMEWORK for Friday, April 9th (although we won't have class, since I'm at an NCATE meeting!!!):
Post a comment to this blog (100-250 words) about what you think about your personal readability level. Do you believe the Fry graph correctly displays the grade level you're writing at? Why, or why not? What could be missing? What could the readability level be used for? Will knowing your personal readability level change anything about your future writing? Do you think you have a different readability level when you blog than when you write a research article like you did for this class?
I believe that the fry graph does correctly display my readability. I know that I am not that sophisticated of a write and I also am aware that I tend to write simpler then what I think. I do believe that it is missing something other than just using syllables and number of sentences in order to determine the readability, I think that it just also include vocabulary that is being used. There are vocabulary words that are not very long or use that many syllables but are sophisticated enough for someone in college not to understand it. The readability can be used to see where your writing readability is at and who would understand your idea you are trying to convey. No it will not change anything about the way I write. Yes there is a difference when comparing a research article to a blog. The research article is much more in-depth and I spend more time than I do with the blogs, which I simply just write what I think and post.
ReplyDeleteI am shocked that my writing level was that of an 8th grader. I think language plays a big role in writing because I would not have the same language of that of an 8th grader. I don't write in the blogs how I would write and essay though because I'm not as concerned with how I saw things because I'm just giving my opinion so I feel like I can write freely. This graph did help me see that I write too many long sentences, so I should try to shorten them up a bit.
ReplyDeleteThe Fly graph is probably pretty dead on where I lie. The graph shows that I wrote at a seventh grade reading level. I work for the Daily Egyptian, the student newspaper at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, and one of the things that is constantly preached at reporters is to write simple. We are supposed to make sure that anyone could pick up our newspaper and read it. Because of this, my writing as continually gotten more and more simple, something I've been trying to change since changing my major to English education, although it will be difficult to completely stop writing simply until I know longer work there after this semester.
ReplyDeleteAfter completing this this activity, I was a little shocked at my readability level. However, I am not upset by this level. I feel that the content of one's sentence is more important than syllables or length of sentence. Too many syllables in a word or sentence can sound snotty and scare off a few readers. I am preparing to teach Middle School and High School English and I feel my readability should suit my students so that they will comprehend and learn more effectively. I do use larger words in regards to the type of writing that is requested. Another fault to this activity is that some people used blog comments and others used their blog post as examples, I think this would make a difference.
ReplyDeleteI don't really think this Readability Graph is very accurate. First of all, the samples of our writing came out of our blog posts, which I personally don't put forth my best writing skills. I think it's different when you have to respond to an article, versus writing a research paper for class. Obviously, you are going to put more effort into writing the research paper than responding to a reading assignment via a blog post. I don't think the Readability Graph is completely pointless, however. I think it's great to use on children to see what level they are writing at, especially high school students who are getting ready to take the ACT or SAT. Teachers can then determine what level their students are writing at, and can also show them how to improve with diction and syntax.
ReplyDeleteThe Fry graph is interesting tool used in determining the reading ago of a person. It does not take into account the type or words used or the complexities of the ideas in the sentence. However, the Fry Graph has its uses. I can see this device being used to determine if a child is falling behind his peers in reading. My reading level is 9th grade. This is above the average. I am happy with that. I definately think the sample writing we borrowed for the Fry graph was more quick writing.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that I'm just writing at a tenth grade level. I would like to believe that I'm writing at least at a college entry level. I'm kind of looking back on old writing assignments to see if the number is true. I don't think the graph correctly displays my level just because I'm pretty that one of the many English teachers that I've had would have told me by now. I think that by seeing this that i will start re-evaluating my writing a little more, not because I believe it but just because it would be beneficial to me. I do think that that i have a different readability level when I blog than when I write.
ReplyDeleteI think that my personal readablity level is not real fair! Because I have gotten nothing but A's and B's in my reading classes so how could my reading level be a 1st grade level???? Not really understanding it! I feel that this graph was really just a normal game for class participation and not a real graph. I must admit I am kinda offended by my grading level. But you win some and lose some I guess! What could be missing is a excerpt from a article that one could explain and then could be graded based on that because these numbers are not really sitting well with me on this graph. No this will not change how I write because I feel that this graph is not correct or I made a mistake when calculating. I think my readability level is a college level indeed I wouldnt have made it this far if it wasnt.
ReplyDeleteI personally feel that my own "readability" level is wrong. I certainly do not feel that I write at a "higher 8th grade level"--on the contrary, I've always believed that I write rather well. The Fry Graph does not take into account such ideas as grammar usage, punctuation, and sentence style. For example, one could write a run-on sentence (which is lower-level writing)and achieve a higher score. Some writers actually prefer short sentences on occasion for effect.
ReplyDeleteHowever, readability can be useful in assessing student writing, and their use of more complex, multi-syllable vocabulary words. Personally, knowing my own "readability" level will not change the way I write-- I think, though not perfect, my writing level is adequate in comparison to my peers. I do believe that I have a different "readability" level when I blog as opposed to when I write essays, though it doesn't differ a great deal.
It was mind-boggling to see how consistent this graph was for each of the samples. Each of my samples fell within the eighth grade level. Having worked over 30 years in the newspaper business, I was aware that industry stressed writing at an eighth grade level. Even though I feel I use a large number of multi-syllable words and a variety of sentence structures, that readability still leveled off at eighth grade. I know some members of the class were disappointed at that level, but it seems fair. A writer should strive for readability and scoring at the 8th grade level demonstrates a certain proficiency at communicative writing, which is the purpose of putting words to paper.
ReplyDeleteI do not necessarily believe that the Fry graph correctly displays the grade level that I am writing at. I think that I personally sound more intelligent than a student or person at a 9.5 grade level. I imagine that many ninth grade students in high school can probably not write this well. Grammar and punctuation errors are missing from calculating the readability level. Many ninth grade students do not always use commas correctly, and many of them may not know how to correct grammatical mistakes including who vs. whom, pronoun-antecedent disagreements, articles, dangling modifiers, split infinitives, and subject-verb agreements. Readability levels can be used to place students in certain classes within the school system, along with showing how people's writing levels compare to others in society. Nevertheless, I am not sure that it would be a completely accurate placement or comparison. Knowing my readability level actually discourages me, and I hope to improve it in my future writings. I also believe that I have a higher readability level when I write a research paper. On Microsoft Word, one can usually check his or her readability level as well. I am at a 12+ readability level, which is college-level writing, on most of my papers. Nonetheless, having a higher readability level just because it is a research paper makes me wonder if I am making the common mistake of using "Engfish."
ReplyDeleteI was shocked that I have an 8th grade readability. Even though I know I dont write good, i was surprised that it was at 8th grade. I think that the Fry graph was did a good job at finding out the level. I do believe that it should have been taken from more than 100 words, I say that because just off 100 words is a small amount. The readability could be used for teachers that want to know where his/her students are when they first get in the class. Knowing my readability will not change how I write. I think that when I write on blogs, its just me writing, but when I am wring for class, I pick and choose the words that I want to use.
ReplyDeleteI was pretty shocked. I predicted I would be at a level closer to college instead of 8th grade. That being said, I challenge that Fry Graph. The whole point of this assignment I feel is to point out what many people in this blog post have pointed out: people don't write the same way in every medium. The way I write on this blog is different from how I write on graded research papers or to my friends. By the end of this semester, I'll have been in college for five years. In my college career, I have historically recieved decent to good grades on papers, and I think that says something, or at least I'd like to think so. It seems like most people fell into a pretty similar range. Maybe that's just the way things are - in today's world, people can get by just fine at an 8th grade writing level. Maybe it's how we've been taught then. Still, the Fry Graph doesn't take into account several other aspects of writing that are more complex. While this may show some things about our writing, being a good writer is more than figuring out the best combination of syllables and sentence numbers.
ReplyDeleteI was somewhat shocked at the level I was at. I knew that I wasn't exactly where I need to be, but I thought I would be higher up than 9th grade. I know that I do not write as sophisticated on the blogs as I do in a final paper. If the words were taken from a paper, I think my level would be a little bit higher.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that the Fry graph was accurate at all. According to the graph I am writing at a fourth grade level. Which I find very strange since I'm in college majoring in Radio Television, a major that requires you to write on a daily basis. Also taking into the fact I have never received lower than a B in my English classes. I noticed something was weird when my syllabus count from three sample writings all came back as 136. I don't know if that as anything to with it or if I just made a error and overlook it.
ReplyDelete