I couldn't settle on the reasoning of this system, so decided to research it myself. When directed to Renaissance Learning's website you are given the opportunity to actually use this analyzer. I tested a reading on Althusser, a French Marxist Philosopher that we discussed extensively in my Pursuits of English class (Junior year, which would be grade level 15). The results concluded that the reading's appropriate level was 16.5. Which, if I am figuring this correctly, would be a Senior going on to Graduate School. I chose one of my most dense readings, and as an English major we can expect to be reading some of the more challenging literacies. Basically, there is a huge disparity between what got me interested in literature, (The Great Gatsby's, etc. which are rated at 5-6 grade levels) to what I am reading at the University level. Why is this so, and is the ATOS Readability Analyzer really that accurate?
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
American High School's Reading Curriculum: 5th-Grade-Level
The article highlights the expectations ATOS (Advanced Technology for Data-Driven Schools) set in regards to proper reading levels. Educators are apparently setting the bar too low for students. With high-schoolers "reading at an average 5th grade level." As we look back at what we were reading in 5th grade, this stat seems hardly imaginable. However, with ATOS's readability analyzer, we found out that the top 20 books high-schoolers are reading should appropriately be designated for a 5th-7th grade reading level. This list includes: Mice of Men (4.5 grade level), Hunger Games (5.3), To Kill a Mockingbird (5.6), and Night (4.3). So, the question at hand, how does this technological advancement take into consideration the depth of our reading skills? The article states that, "Renaissance uses an ATOS readability formula that takes into account several predictors: average sentence length, average word length, word difficulty level and total number of words in a book or passage."
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Michael, what level books do you plan on using in your classroom for high school?
ReplyDeleteThere is definitely this issue that you are talking about. I think part of the reason that students are at a lower level of reading is because the books on that level are more interesting to them. I personally admit, I would probably rather read The Hunger Games than, for example, The Grapes of Wrath. Though they are both darkly themed works, the former is easier to relate to and there is more action besides dialogue and thought. I think teachers would actually benefit from not discrediting YA novels. I read a lot of them (though never Twilight, let that be known) and I have managed to progress thus far. Developing an interest in reading is what we have to create first. A small spark can create a great fire eventually. If we can at least get our students to admit that they can enjoy A book, they may learn to enjoy books in general.
ReplyDeleteI thought this point was interesting: "[W]e found out that the top 20 books high-schoolers are reading should appropriately be designated for a 5th-7th grade reading level. This list includes: Mice of Men (4.5 grade level), Hunger Games (5.3), To Kill a Mockingbird (5.6), and Night (4.3)."
ReplyDeleteI really don't think that you can evaluate the "grade-level" of a book, because it depends upon the work the class does with the book--the depth of the analysis--rather than who the book was intended for, or the size of the words used in the text.