Michigan Dyslexia Institute 2010 Fact Sheet

Plain Language at Work Newsletter— 15 May 2005 No. 15
May 15, 2005 . They lowered average reading level of the newspapers from the 12th to the 9th grade. . USA Today is written at the 10th-grade level.
http://www.impact-information.com/impactinfo/newsletter/plwork15.htm



  • Know Your Readers - Impact Information
    People like to read recreationally two grades below their actual reading skill. The average newspaper is written at the 11th-grade level, the tolerable limit for a .
    http://www.impact-information.com/impactinfo/literacy.htm

  • First Draft by Tim Porter: Reading the Vanishing Newspaper, 6 ...
    Feb 12, 2005 . He parses the staff-written contents of 40 American newspapers with a common . Average newspaper story: 70-80 (about eighth-grade level).
    http://www.timporter.com/firstdraft/archives/000418.html

  • "My Message is Simple": Obama's SOTU Written at 8th Grade Level ...
    Jan 25, 2012 . Obama's average grade-level score of 8.4 is more than two grades lower . Newspaper stories are written at an eight-grade level, because .
    http://blog.lib.umn.edu/cspg/smartpolitics/2012/01/my_message_is_simple_obamas_so.php

  • Readability - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
    Grade level= 0.4 (average sentence length + percentage of Hard Words) . Lostutter argued for more readability testing in newspaper writing. He wrote that .
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Readability

  • What reading grade level are Arizona newspaper written at
    Is newspaper written on college level? some of them are a some of them are not. 5th grade reading level? The average reading level for 5th grade is 5.0-5.9 But .
    http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_reading_grade_level_are_Arizona_newspaper_written_at

  • ENG 1001: Reading Level
    Feb 11, 2012 . The "reading level," measured in terms of school grade levels, indicates the . The box on the left tells us the average number of sentences per . You might be surprised to know that many newspapers are written to be .
    http://www2.ivcc.edu/rambo/eng1001/reading_level.htm

  • What Grade is Your Content Comprehension? :
    May 10, 2010 . Have you ever read a newspaper article or Time magazine piece from the . they did their research, most newspapers were written at the 12th grade level. . level that matches the reading comprehension score of the average .
    http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/columns/publishers-note/7536-What-Grade-is-Your-Content-Comprehension

Through September of 2010 average grade level newspaper written has:

  • Google Answers: Education
    what is the reading grade level of these newspapers? . Average results are as follows: Fleisch Kincaid Grade Level 11.2 Fleisch . BUt I have actually heard that USA TODAY was written at an eighth grade level and is .
    http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview/id/301734.html

    Barack Obama's Inaugural Address Is Written at an 8th Grade ...
    Jan 20, 2009 . Barack Obama's Inaugural Address Is Written at an 8th Grade Reading Level. Filed under: News — 1minutebookreviewswordpresscom @ 4:21 .
    http://oneminutebookreviews.wordpress.com/2009/01/20/barack-obama%E2%80%99s-inaugural-address-is-written-at-an-8th-grade-reading-level/

  • What is the average reading grade-level in the United States?
    Askville Question: What is the average reading grade-level in the United . many newspapers and magazines are written to a 9th grade level; .
    http://askville.amazon.com/average-reading-grade-level-United-States/AnswerViewer.do?requestId=2581222

    Politico Pimps Study That Shows President Obama's SOTU Written ...
    Jan 25, 2012 . The average American reads at an 8th or 9th grade level, right in the . vast majority of newspapers are written for a 5th grade reading level.
    http://www.mediaite.com/online/politico-pimps-study-that-shows-president-obamas-sotu-written-at-8th-grade-reading-level/

  • Confirmed: Obama's Speeches Written For 8th Graders | Mere ...
    Feb 4, 2010 . Text of Obama's Address has a readability score for an average 8th grader . Obama's Flesch-Kincaid grade level score of 8.8 for his first State of the Union . You'll be glad to know that CBS News concluded that “Obama's .
    http://www.mererhetoric.com/2010/02/04/confirmed-obamas-speeches-written-for-8th-graders/

  • How Many Words is Fluent? | Speaking Adventure
    The survey didn't cover newspapers written in languages other than English, but if we assume that we are shooting for an average 10th grade level, this will .
    http://speakingadventure.com/how-many-words-is-fluent

  • Planning an Adult Literacy Program
    First, fifth grade level means something different for an adult than it does for a child, . at higher levels: newspapers are written at sixth to eighth grade, for instance . skills as stupid, but in fact, as in the population as a whole, most are average.
    http://ctb.ku.edu/en/tablecontents/sub_section_tools_1254.aspx

  • State of the Union registers at 8th grade reading level
    Jan 30, 2012 . "Obama's average grade-level score of 8.4 is more than two grades lower than the 10.7 . Fox news said, that Obama was writing the speech .
    http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2840347/posts

  • Analysts: Sarah Palin Writes at an 8th-grade Level - Democratic ...
    She can't even SPEAK at a SECOND grade level. HopeHoops, Jun-13-11 12:38 PM, #2. I believe the average newspaper is written for an 8th .
    http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x1288460

  • Literacy Statistics - Resources - Literacy Mid-South
    Most adults in Level 1 can read a little, but not well enough to fill out an . Adults living in poverty were more likely to have lower average literacy scores than . a newspaper story written at the eighth grade level or fill out a job application.
    http://www.literacymidsouth.org/resources/literacy-statistics/

  • Reading Grade Level of Newspaper Writing
    Mar 22, 2011 . Information to Use in Your Decision Related to Reading Grade Level of Newspaper Writing, and RFP-related Documents.
    http://rfptemplates.technologyevaluation.com/rfp/for/reading-grade-level-of-newspaper-writing.html

    How to Improve the Clarity of Your Writing
    Dec 24, 2007 . The FK program calculates the average number of words per . Most magazine and newspaper writing falls between grade levels 8.0 and 12.0.
    http://www.awaionline.com/2007/12/clarity-of-your-writing/

    Literacy - The Canadian Encyclopedia
    . newspapers, magazines and encyclopedia articles written at a level of . at a level of sophistication often well above that of the average graduate of grade 10.
    http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/articles/literacy

  • Lib Media Slams Sarah Palin for Writing Emails at an 8th Grade ...
    Jun 14, 2011 . AOL Weird News gave two writing analytic companies samples of the former Alaska . Average Grade Level 8.06 (Gov Palin was at 8.20) .
    http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2011/06/lib-media-slams-sarah-palin-for-writing-emails-at-an-8th-grade-level-ignore-obamas-7th-grade-level-speech/

  • ProLiteracy – Improving lives and communities through adult literacy
    Feb 10, 2011 . Weekly Newspaper for Adult Learners . age 16 don't read well enough to understand a newspaper story written at the eighth grade level.
    http://www.proliteracy.org/page.aspx?pid=345

    Barack Obama's SOTU Compares to Theodore Roosevelt's, Also ...
    Jan 25, 2012 . “Obama's average grade-level score of 8.4 is more than two grades lower than the 10.7 grade average for the other 67 addresses written by his 12 . 'Bring Back Beck' campaign: “Tell Fox News to stop selling out to Soros.” .
    http://www.theblaze.com/stories/presidential-historian-obama-state-of-the-union-bears-uncanny-resemblance-to-teddy-roosevelts-1906-address/

  • How Readable is Your Writing? Measure It!
    Apr 10, 2012 . Take anything you've written and you can quickly determine how readable it is by calculating the average grade level needed to understand it.
    http://nonfictionbookeditor.com/2012/04/10/how-readable-is-your-writing-measure-it/

  • Creating the Perfect Level of Writing For The Audience Content ...
    4th grade is what I have always been told to write at for the web. Your average newspaper is written at a 5th grade level and the web is .
    http://www.webmasterworld.com/content_copywriting/4094841.htm

  • Flesch-Kincaid Reading Level - Absolute Write Water Cooler
    The typical newspaper is written at grade level six or seven, and the average pro writer writes at about the same level. Hemingway typically .
    http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=68684

    Fog Index, Readability
    That's an average. . General interest newspapers, for example, usually are written on about an eighth-grade level, and Associated Press wire copy is written at .
    http://faculty.buffalostate.edu/smithrd/PRwrite/fog.htm

  • What Is the Frye Readability Index? | eHow.com
    The Frye method assigns a readability grade level, from first grade to college, . first grade to college, to any written work, according to the average number of . newspapers, for example, are typically written at or below the eighth-grade level.
    http://www.ehow.com/info_8689774_frye-readability-index.html

  • Readability and Acceptance of Public Relations Releases from ...
    indicate that there may be differences in writing style between journalists and . the receptiveness and use of their releases by newspaper editors if they adopt a writing style . Under the Flesch formula, estimates of average grade levels of .
    http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/08824099109359882

  • How Do I Get Top Grades In College?
    Actually, most newspapers are written to an audience with between a 6th grade and an 8th grade reading level as that is the average reading level of the .
    http://tomzzz.hubpages.com/hub/How_do_i_get_top_grades_at_college

    The Fog Index and Readability Formulas: How it works
    The Fog Index does not determine if the writing is too basic or too advanced . ( ( average number of words per sentence) + (number of words of 3 syllables or more) ) * 0.4 = Fog index . words like "state-of-the-art", and compound words like "newspaper. . The example passage requires an 14th grade level of reading ability.
    http://www.klariti.com/business-writing/Fog-Index-Readability-Formulas.shtml

  • What is a School Newspaper?
    Depending on the grade level of students, newspapers can include a variety of . the newspaper staff learns to use the five W's in their writing process: who, .
    http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-school-newspaper.htm

  • Daily Kos: Zero Impact Posts: April 07-13, 2012
    Apr 20, 2012 . GL = Grade Level (i.e., Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level) . a 100-point scale based on the average number of syllables per word and words per sentence. . You might be surprised to know that many newspapers are written to be .
    http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/04/20/1084564/-Zero-Impact-Posts-April-07-13-2012

  • At what reading level are LA high school textbooks written?
    Most textbooks are not written on grade level. Newspapers, for instance, are an eighth grade reading level. For Louisiana, check with the adaopted textbooks list .
    http://www.education.com/question/reading-level-la-high-school/

  • Franklin County area high schools find Pennsylvania standards ...
    For the average kid who goes about their day, we need to find better ways to keep them interested in school . Newspapers are written at an eighth-grade level.
    http://www.publicopiniononline.com/ci_20524838/franklin-county-area-high-schools-find-pennsylvania-standards?source=most_viewed

  • Calculating Reading Level - Flesch-Kincaid Reading Level
    Are you writing at an appropriate grade level? There are several . Calculate the average number of syllables in words (count and divide). Multiply the result by .
    http://homeworktips.about.com/od/homeworkhelp/a/readinglevel.htm

  • Blogosphere Trends + Readability Scoring : @ProBlogger
    May 12, 2011 . For starters, the average American adult reads at a level between eighth and ninth . So if you're writing on a twelfth-grade level, you are not reaching some . newspapers write their articles at a 5th to 6th grade reading level.
    http://www.problogger.net/archives/2011/05/12/blogosphere-trends-readability-scoring/

  • What Should Kids Be Reading?
    The average book-reading levels for grades 9-12 on the new comparison . with the "classics" as rewritten than regular readers are with them as written. . Nor is it likely to be adequate for our major national newspapers.
    http://www.mindingthecampus.com/originals/2012/04/what_should_kids_be_reading.html

  • SOTU Proves Obama Thinks Americans Are Simple (In The Bad Way)
    Jan 25, 2012 . Obama's average grade-level score of 8.4 is more than two grades . newspapers have always been written no higher than the 8th-grade level .
    http://wonkette.com/461269/sotu-proves-barack-obama-is-simple-in-the-bad-way-and-so-are-most-americans

  • How Building Strong Families Facilitators Can Help Participants with ...
    with limited reading, writing, and English-speaking skills. . competency levels, it is estimated that the average reading level for adults is at 8th-9th . grade level would probably have trouble reading and understanding newspapers (written at 9 .
    http://extension.missouri.edu/bsf/learning/HowtoHelp03.pdf

  • flesch-kincaid grade level - definition and meaning
    Log in or sign up to show 'flesch-kincaid grade level' some love. . like newspapers, forms, and tax instructions are to be written at an "average" reading level to .
    http://www.wordnik.com/words/flesch-kincaid%20grade%20level

    10 Simple Ways to Maximize Business Plan Impact - Business Insider
    Aug 27, 2011 . This means writing at the level of an average newspaper story (about eighth- grade level). Understand that people will skim your plan, and even .
    http://articles.businessinsider.com/2011-08-27/strategy/30063995_1_business-plan-wording-fonts

  • A STUDY OF AMERICAN NEWSPAPER READABILITY
    front page readability level of metropolitan and non-metropolitan news- . and features are written below the ninth grade readability level. 4. . The average sen - .
    http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1460-2466.1969.tb00854.x/pdf

  • The Fog Index | MC3
    His Fog Index in The Technique of Clear Writing (McGraw-Hill) is considered the most . Divide the number of words by the number of sentences to get the average . Note: Most newspapers write at the 8th to 10th grade understanding level .
    http://www.mc3edsupport.org/community/knowledgebases/the-fog-index-589.html

  • Readability
    Use both the hard calculations and the softer measures to check your writing. . Most discussions of readability talk about a grade level or some other numerical index. . Some newspapers aim at Grade 5. 3. . The formula is206.835-(1.015 xASL)-(84.6xASW)where ASL (average sentence length) is the numbers of words .
    http://www.writershelper.com/readability.html

  • Notorious R.O.B. – What's the Grade Level Required To Read Your ...
    Feb 15, 2011 . If you want a wide distribution, but write at a 11th grade level, chances . about 52, an average 6th grade student's (an 11-year-old) written assignment . newspapers and magazines are written at the 8th grade level — which .
    http://www.notorious-rob.com/2011/02/15/grade-level-required-read-blog/

  • Say Anything » Sarah Palin Writes Like An 8th Grader? » Say Anything
    Jun 15, 2011 . The average newspaper, periodical and most television/radio newscasts are written at the 6th grade level, so she does them two grades better.
    http://sayanythingblog.com/entry/sarah-palin-writes-like-an-8th-grader/

  • Literacy levels in Australia
    psychologists have a duty to see that these are written in a form likely to be . ' The Reading Grade Level of a passage is the average Grade Level, on a reading . In surveys about two thirds of newspaper readers choose newspapers scoring .
    http://www.psychassessment.com.au/pdf/mod10.pdf

  • Are You Guilty of These Business Writing Mistakes?
    But if the sentences in your text are, on average, 25 words long, then your copy . Flesch–Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL) - The FKGL score, developed by Rudolf . most newspapers in the U.S. are written at a seventh to eighth grade level.
    http://www.businessknowhow.com/growth/businessspeak.htm