"Development of a Frequency-based Measure of Syntactic Difficulty for Estimating Readability" Presented to the 1977 Annual Meeting of International Reading Association Miami Beach, Florida

MF-$0.83 HC-$1.67 Plus Postage. Elementary Secondary Education; *Language Patterns; *Measurement Techniques; *Readability; Readability Formulas; Reading Materials; *Reading Research; Sentence Structure; *Syntax Readability estimates are usually based on measures cf wqrd difficulty and measures of sentence difficulty. Word difficulty is measured in two ways: by the structural size and complexity of words or by reference to phonomena of language use, such as word-list frequency or the regularity of spelling patterns. Sentence difficulty is measured only in terms of size or complexity, despite models of the reading process which suggest that readers could use a knowledge of recurring syntactic patterns to economize their scan of the text. This study identified syntactic patterns which occurred in samples of student writing and text and counted how often each pattern recurred. McCall-Crabbs test passages were classified for the commonness of their sentence patterns according to these counts. The commonness of the patterns was significantly associated with the readability of the passages, with other factors controlled. The results bear implications for measuring readability and designing instruction. (Author) *********************************************************************** Documents acquired by ERIC include many informal unpublished * materials not available from other sources. ERIC makes every effort * * to obtain the best copy available: Nevertheless, items of marginal * reproducibility are often encountered and this affects the quality * of the microfiche and hardcopy reproductions ERIC makes available * via the ERIC Document Reproduction Service (EDRS). EDRS is not * responsible for the qualitY of the original document. Reproductions * * supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original. *********************************************************************** U.S OEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EOUCATION &WVLFARE NATIONAL INST,TUTE OF EOUCATION THIS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN REPROOUCED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED FROM 1HE PERSON OR ORGANIZATION ORIGINATING IT POINTS OF view DR OPINIONS STATED DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRE. SENT OFFICIAL NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION POSITION DR POLICY "Development of a Frequency-based Measure of Syntactic Difficulty for Estimating Readability" Presented to the 1977 Annual Meeting of International Reading Association Miami Beach, Florida Ramsay Selden Department of Research Methodology 266 Ruffner Hall "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY Ramsay Selden University of Virginia Charlottesville, Virginia 22903 (804) 924 3091 296 8282 296 1213 TO ERIC AND ORGANIZATIONS OPERATING UNDER AGREEMENTS WITH THE NATIONAL IN. STITUTE OF EDUCATIA. FURTHER REPRO. DUCTION OUTSIDE THE ERIC SYSTEM RE. OUIRES PERMISSION OF DIE COPYRIGHT OWNER "Development of a Frequency-based Measure of Syntactic Difficulty for Estimating Readability" Ramsay Selden Department of Research Methodology University of Virginia Readability estimates are usually based on measures of word difficulty and measures of sentence difficulty. Word difficulty is measured in two ways: by the structural size and complexity of words or by.reference to phenomena of language use such as word-list frequency or the regularity of spelling patterns. Sentence difficulty is measured only in terms of size or cornplexity, despite models of the reading process which suggest that readers could use a knowledge of recurring syntactic patterns to economize their scan of the text. .This study identified syntactic patterns which occurred in samples of student writing and text, and counted how often each pattern recurred. McCall-Crabbs test passages were classified for the commonness of their sentence patterns according to these counts. The commonness of the patterns was significantly associated with the readability of the passages, with other factors contkrolled. The results bear impiications fo:c. 4 measuring readability and designing instru,Ftion. "Development of a Frequency-based Measure of Syntactic Difficulty for Estimating Readability"