Evaluating 6th Grade Literature

By: Lorraine M. Carmona Torres

Prof. E. LugoENGG 633

December 2nd, 2010

Introduction• In this presentation I will discuss

key elements that we as teacher should have in mind when we choose a book for our students.

Checklist For Assessing Children's Literature

• Story: – Are the stories interesting to

children?– Are there various conflicts for

children to explore?– How are the conflicts resolved?

• Characters:– Do characters represent people

from a variety of cultural groups? – Do "good" characters reflect a

variety of backgrounds? – Are females as well as males

depicted in leadership roles?

• Themes:– Does the story offer children a

variety of things to think about, to question, and to consider?

– Are values being explored instead of preached?

– Are there lessons to be learned?

Cont.• The books chosen should also

represent:– a variety of settings– problem-solving approaches and themes– should provide opportunities for children

to consider multiple perspectives and values.

– Multicultural children's books should not speak to a limited group of children; they should speak to all children.

• Settings:– Do the stories reflect a variety of

settings? – Are urban, suburban, and rural

settings represented realistically? – Are cultural settings represented

realistically?

• Illustrations:– Are diverse populations

represented? – Is there diversity represented within

cultural groups? – Are characters realistically and

genuinely represented? – Do the illustrations avoid reinforcing

societal stereotypes?

• Other Considerations: –Will the stories encourage discussions? – Are children exposed to multiple

perspectives and values? – Do the stories promote understanding

of our diverse society? – Are the stories age appropriate to

ensure children can understand what is presented?

Text Readability• The readability of a reading text book

is the ability of a particular student to easily read the text.

• There are three methods for determining the readability of a textbook: – the Flesch Reading Ease Formula– the Gunning Fog Index – the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level Readability

Formula.

Flesch Reading Ease Formula

1. Divide the total number of words in a selection of text by the total number of sentences in the same selection. This will determine the average sentence length (ASL). A selection of text can be as much as an entire page or as little as a single paragraph.

2. Divide the total number of syllables in the selection of text by the total number of words. This will determine the average number of syllables per word (ASW).

Cont.3. Multiply the average sentence length (ASL) by

1.015.4. Multiply the average number of syllables per

word by 84.6 and subtract it from the total from step 3.

5. Subtract the total from step 4 from 206.835 to find the readability level of the text. The formula is as follows: Readability level = 206.835 -- (1.015 x ASL) -- (84.6 x ASW) where ASL is the average sentence length and ASW is the average number of syllables in each word.

• A score of 90 to 100 is considered the readability level of a fifth grader. A score of 80 to 90 is a sixth-grade readability level. A score of 70 to 80 is a seventh-grade readability level. A score of 0 to 30 is considered to be at the readability level of college graduates.

The Gunning Fog Index1. Count out at least 100 words of text in the textbook.

This will be the selection you use to determine the readability of the textbook.

2. Divide the total number of words in the selection by the total number of sentences in the selection. This will determine the average sentence length (ASL).

3. Add up the total number of words with three or more syllables. Do not count proper nouns, such as Kentucky; hyphenated words such as mother-in-law; compound words made up of simple words, such as lighthouses; or an two-syllable verbs that are made into three-syllable words by the addition of an --ed or --es ending, such as disguises.

Cont.4. Divide the total number of words with three or more

syllables by the total number of words in the selection of text. This will determine the percentage of hard words (PHW).

5. Add the percentage of hard words (PHW) with the average sentence length determined in step 2.

6. Multiply the ASL plus the PHW, as determined in step 4, by 0.4. This will provide the grade level or readability level of the text. The formula is as follows: Grade level (or readability level of the text) = 0.4 (ASL + PHW), where ASL is the average sentence length and PHW is the percentage of hard words.

Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level Readability Formula

1. Divide the total number of words in a selection of text by the total number of sentences. This will determine the average length of the sentence (ASL). The selection of text is not required to be a specific amount and can be as much as a whole page or as little as a single paragraph.

2. Divide the number of syllables in the passage by the total number of words in the selection. This will determine the average number of syllables in each word in the passage (ASW).

Cont.4. Multiply 0.39 by the average sentence length

(ASL).-Multiply 11.8 by the average number of syllables found in each word in the passage as found in step 2.

5. Add the totals from step 3 and 4 together.6. Subtract the total from step 5 from 15.59. The

result is the readability level of the passage. 7. The formula is Flesch Reading Age = (0.39 x

ASL) + (11.8 x ASW) - 15.59. A score of 8.6 describes a passage with a readability level of eighth grade.

Conclusion• Determining which book is

appropiate for our students is a very hard task. I think that by using the tips and information discussed above we can choose the appropiate books for our students.

References• ADL, . (2003, October 20). Assessing children.

Retrieved from http://www.adl.org/education/assessing.asp

• Wagaman, J. (2010, May 26). How to evaluate the readibility of reading textbooks. Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/how_6555530_evaluate-readability-reading-textbooks.html

• http://www.katedicamillo.com/books/bowd.html