Return-Path: <root> Received: (from root@localhost) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) id f7VBt9s10513 for health-archive@nifl.gov; Fri, 31 Aug 2001 07:55:09 -0400 (EDT) Resent-Message-Id: <200108311155.f7VBt9s10513@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from mailhub.state.me.us (mailhub.state.me.us [141.114.122.227]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with ESMTP id f5LJCif09577 for <nifl-health@literacy.nifl.gov>; Thu, 21 Jun 2001 15:12:44 -0400 (EDT) Received: from x400gw.state.me.us by mailhub.state.me.us (X.400 to RFC822 Gateway); Thu, 21 Jun 2001 15:09:33 -0400 X400-Received: by mta MTAMaine1 in /c=US/admd= /prmd=Mainegovt/; Relayed; 21 Jun 2001 15:09:30 -0400 X400-Received: by /c=US/admd= /prmd=Mainegovt/; Relayed; 21 Jun 2001 15:09:30 -0400 X400-MTS-Identifier: [/c=US/admd= /prmd=Mainegovt/; 004293B32466A847-MTAMaine1] Content-Identifier: 004293B32466A847 Content-Return: Allowed X400-Content-Type: P2-1988 ( 22 ) Conversion: Allowed Original-Encoded-Information-Types: IA5-Text Priority: normal Disclose-Recipients: Prohibited Alternate-Recipient: Allowed X400-Originator: Eric.Frohmberg@state.me.us X400-Recipients: non-disclosure; Message-Id: <"004293B32466A847*/c=us/admd= /prmd=Mainegovt/o=msmail/s=Frohmberg/g=Eric/"@MHS> Date: 21 Jun 2001 15:09:30 -0400 From: "Frohmberg, Eric" <Eric.Frohmberg@state.me.us> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-health@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: RE: [NIFL-HEALTH:3125] Children, Words, and Grade Levels Resent-From: root@literacy.nifl.gov Resent-Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2001 07:55:09 -0400 Resent-To: health-archive@nifl.gov Status: O Content-Length: 2158 Lines: 57 This has been a really interesting discussion - to add a practical aspect to the warning of using these resources as a measure of readability, let me add a quick story. These books sounded very interesting so I interlibrary loaned Dale and O'Rourke "Living Word Vocabulary" that started this thread. It came in today and reading the intro I noticed that the data started to be collected in the 1950s and the date of the book was 1976. I then noticed that one of the entries was "bakelite" and that 70% of 8th graders supposedly knew this word. Maybe in 1960!! Certainly not now!! Our administrative assistant who is only 10 years younger than I didn't know what it was! For those of you who don't know what bakelite is - it was an early plastic. I only know of it because in my misspent youth I used to smoke a pipe (the tobacco kind, thank you .. I was an oddly rebellious kid) and the mouth piece was made of bakelite. Anyway - this is a great group - I find the work that you do very interesting! Thanks, Eric Frohmberg Environmental Toxicology Program Maine Bureau of Health 157 Capital Street 11 State House Station Augusta, ME 04333 207-287-8141 207-287-9058 - fax eric.frohmberg@state.me.us ---------- From: Popham, Karyn To: Multiple recipients of list Subject: [NIFL-HEALTH:3125] Children, Words, and Grade Levels Date: Tuesday, June 19, 2001 11:40AM Pamela, May I recommend a wonderful resource that is back in print in paperback, the Children's Writer's Word Book? It doesn't give a percentage, just a flat grade level for each word, based I think (I am not positive!) on standard vocabularies for each grade. As I recall (my copy is at home) it's published by Writers Digest. I also have a request. I am writing a guideline on "editing to grade level" for the Council of Science Editors, and if anyone has any suggestions at all for resources (beyond this list, which will certainly be included!), I would very much appreciate your sharing them with me. Cheers, Karyn Popham Center for Health Promotion and Prevention Research School of Public Health UT Health Science Center at Houston kpopham@sph.uth.tmc.edu
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