How to Write Low Literacy Materials
JOE: FEB 2001 by Juanita E. Miller
Extension
professionals frequently have to write fact sheets, newsletters, and
educational materials that appeal to and are effective with low literacy
people. Approximately 40 million Americans age 16 years and older have low
literacy skills (U.S. Congress,
Office of Technology Assessment, 1993). Forty-three percent of people with
the lowest literacy skills live in poverty; 17% receive food stamps; and 70%
have no job or a part-time job (Family, Career and Community Leaders of
America, 2000).
Thus,
to help low literacy people understand what they need to know, professionals
and paraprofessionals need to be able to write materials at a low literacy
level. This article is a guide to assist you in writing low literacy text.
According
to the National Center for Education
Statistics (1993), literacy is "…the ability to read, write, and speak
in English and compute and solve problems at the levels of proficiency
necessary to function on the job and in society, to achieve one's goals, and
develop one's knowledge and potential." There are three types of literacy
skills.
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Quick Tips for Writing Low Literacy Materials
Many
of the tips below should be familiar to you because they hold true for the
writing of all types of materials. Others, however, are especially important
when you want to reach low literacy audiences.
➧ Keep
writing style simple.
➧ Use
active voice and conversational style.
➧ Sequence
main points in a logical manner.
➧ Make
your sub-points clearly correspond to the main point.
➧ Use
short words and sentences.
➧ Avoid
double negative expressions.
➧ Use
the same word consistently rather than synonyms to avoid confusion.
➧ For
lengthy materials, use a table of contents to point the way.
➧ Write
short summaries at the end of long sections.
➧ Use
a larger type than 12 points for the text.
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Testing
Reading Level
There
are several tests that measure reading level. The Fog Index, developed by
Robert Gunning, is easy to understand and requires a minimum amount of text to
execute the test. To find the Fog Index of material you have written, follow
these steps. READ MORE >>
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