Northwest Center for Holocaust, Genocide and Ethnocide Education

Readability Analysis

Assessing and Enhancing the Readability of Holocaust Historical Documents: Providing Accessibility for High School Students.

Presented by*:
Katie Jones, B.A., Candidate for Master’s Degree in Education,
Western Washington University
Justin M. Thibault,  B.S.   Candidate for Master’s Degree in Education
Western Washington University

Under the Supervision of:
Dr. Ray Wolpow, Associate Professor of Secondary Education,
Western Washington University

November 17, 2000

Abstract

Historical Holocaust documents are valuable instructional tools for educators who seek to explore, with their students, this significant period of our shared history.  Because the character of these documents is often scholarly, densely written, and rich in detail, educators must be aware that many of their students will not be able to read and comprehend these materials.

The authors examine ten historical source documents intended for tenth grade students.  These documents concerned Holocaust rescuers and survivors, and provided historical information and testimonies. Formulaic and subjective readability analysis were performed and analyzed.  It was concluded that many of the documents read far above the tenth grade level, and that at least one was, in every respect, inappropriate for the intended audience.  One such  document was utilized to demonstrate a number of instructional tools that educators can employ to help students  to access hard to read documents which contain valuable content for study.

*Data Collection Performed by the Students of Western Washington University’s Secondary Education 425: Developmental Reading, Writing, and Learning in the Secondary School, Fall Quarter, 2000.

Contents

Introduction
Definition of Readability
Description of Readability Tools Used
Figure 1-Fry Readability Analysis of Documents 
Figure 2-Marshall’s Readability Checklist of Documents
Importance of Triangulation
Triangulation Figure 3
Evaluation Results and Suggestions
Instructional Tools 
Sample Summary
Sample Vocabulary List
Figure 4-Sample Gloss
Figure 5-Sample Reading Guide
Bibliography

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Introduction

Before any curriculum is implemented into a classroom, educators must first be aware of the difficulty or ease of the readability of the texts students will be asked to read.  In this assessment ten source documents from the Holocaust are read and analyzed. Suggestions to make several of the more difficult articles  more accessible to students in a tenth grade history class are provided.  The ten historical documents have been named and numbered as follows:  

1 - Letter to President Truman from Guy von Dardel
2 - Alex and Mela Roslan
3 - Survivor Testimonies I
4 - Survivor Testimonies II
5 - Enigma of the Righteous Persons
6 - Flight and Rescue
7 - New York Times Article
8 - Help to Jews From "Zegota" in Pola
9 - Escape to Sweden
10 - Raoul Wallenberg's Last Report to Sweden 

Each document went through a two-step process that resulted in various outcomes for each article.  First, a formulaic readability assessment, known as the Fry Readability Graph, was formally conducted by Western Washington University Secondary Education students.  This widely used formula estimates grade reading levels for texts.  Second, the Marshall Checklist was used to analyze each text to help determine the comprehensibility of the documents for tenth grade students.  Finally, the formulaic and subjective readability analyses of each text led us to make suggestions to increase text readability.  This is illustrated with one of the highly valuable source documents.

The evaluators made several assumptions regarding the students who would read these texts.  First, the students would have the skills to read material written between a  9th to 11th grade reading level.  Second, it was  assumed that students in a tenth grade World or European History class would have already had instruction to WWII and Holocaust history.  These students would know basic terminology unique to this period (ex: Nazi, Auschwitz, POW, etc.).  It is also assumed that many of the students have read other Holocaust literature, such as the Diary of Anne Frank and Night, in their English classes.

Definition of Readability:

The term readability refers to the difficulty or ease with which a text is read.  Here are some of the major factors and considerations that determine the difficulty or ease of a text:

• Concepts - Are the major ideas presented in quick succession with adequate explanation, repetition, or examples?  Are the concepts presented in a concrete or and abstract way?
• Vocabulary Level - Longer, multi-syllabic words are generally considered to be more difficult than shorter words. How are words with multiple meanings treated? How are technical terms defined in the text?  How are proper nouns referenced in the text?
• Sentence Structure - A lengthy sentence will often be more difficult to comprehend than a short one. The longer the sentence, the longer the reader must retain the subject, verb and predicate agreement and meaning.  However, a poorly written series of short sentences is not an acceptable alternative.  The author's writing style and usage is taken into account along with sentence length.
• Format/Print Factors - Graphic aids, such as maps, pictures, and charts, will usually enhance readability of a text.  Clear introductions, titles, bolded headings and subheadings can ease the path to the separation and delineation of major ideas from supporting ones.  Size of print and style of print may also influence readability.
• Comprehension Questions  - What level of comprehension is required to answer the questions at the end of the text? Pre-questions and post-questions can help ease the difficulty of the text.

 

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