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Raygor Readability Estimate

PURPOSE OF THE STRATEGY

Devised by Alton Raygor (1977), this readability formula is designed specifically for middle/secondary level reading material. It is more reliable than the Fry Readability Graph, and others which include syllable counts; the Raygor is easy to determine. Remember: 1) Readability formulas give a grade level score, but it is important to remember that grade level can be ambiguous if they readersŐ prior knowledge, interests and background experiences are not also considered, and 2) Teachers should also consider conceptual density, word frequency, and writing clarity when evaluating the readability of a text. This test will assess the level of difficulty of Seedfolks; it will likely be an easy text for secondary readers and based on the readability scores, the teacher will know how much to supplement students' reading with supplementary reading and information.

DIRECTIONS:

Step One: Passages
Use the passages provided or count out your own three 100 word passages, one each from the beginning, middle, and end of the book. The results of the Raygor are averaged out over these three passages. A quick count can be conducted on one passage, but is not guaranteed to be as accurate. Don't count any numerals unless written out as numbers -i.e., do not count "43" but do count "forty-three."

Step Two: Count sentences
Next count how many sentences you have in each 100 word passage. If the 100 word limit breaks a sentence in half, count all the worlds in that sentence, then estimate how many tenths of the sentence are used in your 100 word count. For instance, if you had 15 words in the entire sentence and only seven were part of your 100 word count, you would estimate .5 (15/7 = 2 1/7 = .5). See figures for the passages provided on Step Four.

Step Three: Underline
Now underline the words with 6 or more letters in the passage. Count how many words are in the passage. See figures for the passages provided on Step Four.

Step Four: Plot
To plot the results on the Raygor, find the total number of sentences in your passage on the vertical axis (left column) of the Raygor scale and place a dot on the margin closest to your number. Next find the number of words having 6 or more letters on the horizontal axis (bottom scale) and again place a dot closest to that number. Now find the place where the dots intersect on the graph to arrive at your grade level. Remember that the grade level is only valid within the "parallel" lines. If your plot is in the top left area of the grid or the bottom right (outside the parallel lines) your total is invalid for the purposes of this estimate.

Seedfolks:

	Sentences	Words
Passage A	8.1	22
Passage B	9.5	23
Passage C	8.3	21
Total	25.9	66

GRADE LEVEL	5

Passage A from "Gonzalo," chapter four, p. 13.

Two years after my father and I moved here from Guatemala I could speak English. I learned it on the playground and watching lots of TV. Don't believe what people say - cartoons make you smart. But my father, he worked all day in a kitchen with Mexicans and Salvadorans. His English was worse than a kindergartner's. He would only buy food at the bodega down the block. Outside of there he lowered his eyes and tried to get by on mumbles and smiles. He didn't want strangers to hear his mistakes. So he used me to make phone calls and...

Passage B from "Virgil," chapter seven, p. 34.

My father practically cried, looking at it. He'd stop by in his cab when he could, with two five-gallon water containers riding in the back instead of passengers. Then bugs started eating bug holes in the plants. I couldn't see anyone buying them from us. My father had promised we'd make enough money to buy me an eighteen -speed bike. I was counting on it. I'd already told my friends. My father asked all his passengers what to do. His cab was like a library for him. Finally, one of 'em told him that spring or fall was the...

Passage C from "Florence," chapter thirteen, p. 66.

I would have been in on the garden for sure if it weren't for this arthritis in my hands. Growing up out in the country, I still miss country things. My husband's from here. He doesn't know about the smell of a hayfield and eating beans off the vine instead of from the store. I had to settle for being a watcher. I wasn't the only one. I'd see others on the fire escapes, or standing on the sidewalk like me. One day I looked up and saw a head in a window moving forward and back. It was a...

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