Knowledge Builders

what is the average reading level of the general public

by Anissa Kunze Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago
image

by EMILY SCHMIDT | March 16, 2022
This means more than half of Americans between the ages of 16 and 74 (54%) read below the equivalent of a sixth-grade level.
Mar 16, 2022

Full Answer

What is the reading level of the general public?

8th grade levelFor the general public, text should be written at the 8th grade level or lower. Some people worry that 8th grade level text will offend highly skilled readers.

What is the average reading level of people in the US?

Nationwide, on average, 79% of U.S. adults are literate in 2022. 21% of adults in the US are illiterate in 2022. 54% of adults have a literacy below 6th grade level. Low levels of literacy costs the US up to 2.2 trillion per year.

What is the average reading level in the world?

The global literacy rate currently stands at 87%, up from 12% in 1820. Most developed countries have achieved a 99% literacy rate. But as this Statista graph shows, strong regional inequalities remain.

What is the average high school reading level?

A compilation of the top 40 books teens in grades 9-12 are reading in school shows that the average reading level of that list is 5.3 -- barely above the fifth grade. "A fifth-grade reading level is obviously not high enough for college-level reading.

How well can the average person read?

The average reading speed is 200 to 250 words a minute in non-technical material roughly 2 minutes per page. If you doubt this, test your reading speed - there is a reading speed test elsewhere in this site.

Why is American reading level so low?

Patterson said adult literacy program attendance nationally has decreased over the past two decades due to lack of funding and public schools pushing for more students to graduate high school.

What reading level should a 11 grader be at?

NOTE: By the end of the 11th grade, students should reach the college- and career-ready reading level (1300 Lexiles).

What level should a 11 year old be reading?

Elementary Level: Children ages 8 to 12, or 4th through 6th grades. These children read sentences of approximately 10 words, with the maximum number of words being 20. Most books written at this level range between 20,000 and 40,000 words.

What is the highest reading level?

The higher the Lexile measure, the higher the student's reading level. The reader's Lexile Framework works in intervals of five with 5L being the lowest. The highest possible measure is 2000L.

How much should a 13 year old be reading?

While 15 to 20 minutes is the recommended amount of reading, it is important to note that, if your child is interested in and enjoying what she is reading, it is fine to encourage more time. However, we do not want children to become too tired.

How fast should a 12th grader read?

Teens in grades 7 through 12 can read between 115 words per minute and 185 words per minute. College-aged adults can read between 200 and 300 words, while adults have an average reading rate of 200 words and 250 words per minute.

What reading level should a 10th grader be at?

Reading Status Norms (RIT Values and Lexile Levels)GradeBeginning-of-YearLexile Range9220.91100-112510223.91150-117511225.21200+10 more rows

Who has the highest reading level in the world?

Uzbekistan. Uzbekistan is the country with the highest literacy rate as of 2018, with over 99.99% of its population able to read and write. Males ages 15 and above are reported to have a 100% literacy rate, while adult females have a 99.99% literacy rate.

What is the average of reading?

Generally, reading at less than 100-200 words per minute is the normal rate for learning, and 200-400 words per minute are the normal rate for comprehension. Going beyond reading 500 words per minute can compromise the quality of reading and your comprehension.

What is the average 7th grade reading level?

4th Grade: 38-40. 5th Grade: 40-50. 6th Grade: 50-60. 7th & 8th Grade: 60-80.

What ages read the most?

The survey results showed that adults within this age category were more likely than older respondents to have read a book within the last twelve months....Characteristic2019202165+68%68%50-6467%72%30-4972%77%18-2981%83%Jul 27, 2022

What is the reading score for Pacific Islander 8th graders?

The 2019 reading score for Pacific Islander 8th-graders (252) was not measurably different from the scores in 2017 and 2011. While the 2019 reading score for 8th-graders of Two or more races (267) was lower than the score in 2017 (272), it was not measurably different from the score in 2011.

What is the reading score for Asian students in NAEP?

In 2011, NAEP began reporting separate data for Asian students, Pacific Islander students, and students of Two or more races. At grade 8, the 2019 reading score for Asian students (284) was not measurably different from the score in 2017, but it was higher than the score in 2011 (277).

What is the reading score for 8th graders?

For 8th-grade students, the reading score in 2019 (263) was lower than the score in 2017 (267), but it was higher than the score in 1992 (260). The reading score for 12th-grade students in 2015 (287) was not measurably different from the score in 2013, but it was lower than the score in 1992 (292). Figure 2.

How many points did the white black achievement gap decrease in 2019?

Although the White-Black achievement gap did not change measurably from 2017 to 2019, the achievement gap narrowed from 32 points in 1992 to 27 points in 2019. The White-Hispanic achievement gap in 2019 (21 points) was smaller than the achievement gap in 2017 (23 points), but it was not measurably different from the achievement gap in 1992. ...

What is the average reading score for 4th graders in 2019?

See Digest of Education Statistics 2019, table 221.10 . The average reading score for 4th-grade students in 2019 (220) was lower than the score in 2017 (222), but it was higher than the score in 1992 (217). For 8th-grade students, the reading score in 2019 (263) was lower than the score in 2017 (267), but it was higher than the score in 1992 (260).

When was the NAEP first administered?

The Main NAEP reading assessment was first administered in 1992 and assesses student performance at grades 4, 8, and 12, while the Long-Term Trend NAEP reading assessment was first administered in 1971 and assesses student performance at ages 9, 13, and 17.

Is reading score lower in the District of Columbia?

Reading scores were also lower in 2019 than in 2017 in 31 states; however, the score was higher in 2019 than in 2017 in the District of Columbia.

State Average Scores

When comparing state/jurisdiction average scores in reading for fourth-grade public school students in 2019 with those from 2017, the previous assessment year,

Additional State Resources

See how a state performed over time, view a state 's demographics and school characteristics, download snapshot reports, and compare each state 's overall performance to performance nationwide or in other state s.

What is the literacy rate in the US?

The percentage of US residents who are literate, able to read and write, ranges between 65% and 85%. This wide range is due to a difference in how literacy is measured.

Why are there so few people going to university?

One of the biggest reasons that fewer individuals are going to university is the cost. Tuition costs at public universities have drastically increased over the last few decades leading to less equitable access to education. This indicates that those from lower socioeconomic classes have a more difficult time paying for and attending university.

Which state has the highest percentage of high school graduates?

The top 5 US states with the highest percentage of high school graduates are Wyoming (91.8%), Minnesota (91.7%), Alaska (91.4%), Iowa (91.4%), and New Hampshire (91.3%).

Is it harder to earn a middle class salary?

Today, earning a middle-class salary is more difficult with lower levels of education than it once was. People without university degrees are more likely to work in minimum wage jobs. This creates a fierce competition for these jobs between US citizens without a university degree and the immigrants who apply for the same type of jobs for lower salaries. Some researchers believe that this competition has led to increased levels of unemployment among lower-educated US citizens. However, many other researchers have published studies to the contrary, claiming that immigration inflow and increasing unemployment rates are not correlated.

Is the US behind in education?

The US has fallen behind several countries around the world in terms of educational mobility and university-level educational at tainment. The number of young people attending and graduating from university has in the past surpassed the numbers of the previous generation. Today, however, that is not always true, and fewer young adults are getting a higher education than their parents. Several factors attribute to this trend.

Is basic education free?

Basic education is mandatory and free for all in the US.

How does Readable work?

Readable works similarly but scores your text against several readability algorithms so you get a bunch of different scores, plus a grade from Readable’s proprietary scoring system . It also points out the hard-to-read text so you can refine it.

What is a bucket brigade?

For example, use one-line paragraphs to pull your readers’ eyes down the page. These are called “ bucket brigades” (Brian Dean explains them really well in his SEO copywriting article).

Why do we need headings in writing?

Headings are a godsend for online writing. They break up the text into orderly, logical chunks. They make the text easy to scan and find the information you want. They help readers make sense of the text. As a general rule, add a heading whenever you introduce a new facet or branch of your topic.

What beats the human eye when you’re trying to assess the readability of a text?

Nothing beats the human eye when you’re trying to assess the readability of a text.

How to increase readability of online content?

Another great way to increase the readability of your online content is to shorten your paragraphs.

What is the difference between printed and online text?

With printed text, the average reader will read from top to bottom. There’s no skipping around. With online text, the average reader will read it piece-meal or skip around. They’ll scroll until something catches their eye or skim the headings of a content piece rather than read it through 100%.

How to make a sentence more readable?

1. Write Shorter Sentences. Contrary to what you might think, using shorter sentences will not dumb down your content. Instead, it will make it more readable. Sentences that drag on… and on… and on… are harder to read on a screen. They tend to make your mind wander and your eyes hurt because there aren’t any pauses.

What is the PIAAC?

The PIAAC is a huge, statistically significant study of adult literacy in developed countries. Every 10 years, the OECD (that’s Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development to us mortals) looks at the literacy skills of adults between 16 and 65.

How many Americans have basic reading skills?

Read it and weep. More than half of all Americans have basic or below-basic reading skills, according to the DOE’s latest adult literacy test.

What percentage of Americans are below level 1?

Some 4% of Americans (global literacy rate: 3%) have Below Level 1 literacy. That means they are nonliterate. They can’t read well enough to perform activities of daily living in a modern society — let alone to take a literacy test.

What is the midline of reading?

So let’s estimate that the midline here is the break between 7 th- and 8 th -grade reading levels. That means half of U.S. adults read at the 7 th -grade level and below, and half read at the 8 th -grade level and above.

How many readers will you miss writing for these folks?

Write for these folks, and you’ll miss 98% of your readers!

How many people can't read books in 8th grade?

Half of U.S. adults can’t read a book written at the 8th-grade level, according to the OECD. [4]

What is the 2012 PIAAC?

The latest object of my affection is the 2012 edition of the PIAAC, or Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies. (The name itself could not be understood by most of the people it surveyed!) [1]

What does “grade reading level” mean?

Grade reading levels are research-based benchmarks that help teachers choose texts at suitable levels of difficulty for students at various reading ages.

How to check readability in Microsoft Word?

To use the tool, you must click “Check grammar and spelling” and “Check readability statistics” in Word’s Proofing Options.

What is expressive arts?

Expressive arts is a client-centered, arts-based, community-oriented program that works with the immigrant and refugee women to address issues of safety both at home and in the larger community, and to reduce social isolation by bringing newcomer women together to counteract the isolation in their own communities.

What is logical organization?

The research says logical organization is the overriding factor when it comes to reading comprehension. And by ‘logical’ we mean logical from the reader’s point of view. Analyze your audience. Write the way they think. Use frequent, meaningful subheadings to help them navigate your document.

How many words should a sentence be for reading?

Aim for an average sentence length of 15 words . Break up sentences containing more than one idea.

What are the factors that formulas can’t measure?

These factors include: Organization and ease of navigation. Tone and ‘voice’. Sentence structure. Word familiarity. Use of graphics. Use of type and ‘white space’.

What are some words to avoid in Latin?

Avoid Latinate words such as “prior” and “de facto” and Latin-based short forms like “i.e.,” “e.g.,” and “etc.”

What is the readability level of the 16 articles?

Eleven of the 16 articles had a readability grade level between 11 and 12, three of the articles had a readability level between nine and ten, one of the articles had a readability level between seven and eight, and only one of the articles had a readability level between four and six.

What is the reading comprehension level?

The reading comprehension level determines the readability that a text must have so that a reader understand the written materials (9). The Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL) formula is a validated and common instrument used to determine the readability of written materials in terms of the United States academic grade levels (10-18). The FKGL formula was originally used by the United States Army for assessing the difficulty of technical manuals and became the Department of Defense Military Standard. The higher the FKGL of a text, the more difficult it is to read and comprehend, requiring more advanced reading skills.

What is the recommended reading level for a patient education?

Organizations including the American Medical Association (AMA) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) recommend that the readability of patient education materials should be no greater than a sixth-grade reading level (23-27). Despite these recommendations, several studies suggested that current patient education materials might be at a reading level that is too complex for most patients to comprehend (10, 11, 13, 14, 16, 18, 20, 28).

What is the definition of health literacy?

Health literacy is the ‘‘capacity to obtain, interpret, and understand basic health information and services and the competence to use such information and services to enhance health’ ’ (1). An individual’s health literacy is an independent predictor of their health-related quality of life (2) with low health literacy being associated with worse overall health (3), increased hospitalizations (4), increased complications that require hospital attention (3), poor understanding of one’s disease (5), and an overall increase in health-care costs (6).

Is AAST a good readability website?

This study found that the AAST patient education website currently contains information at a readability level too advanced for most patients to comprehend. Improving readability of patient education materials may improve patient understanding and thus, positively affect health outcomes. Moreover, a better-informed public would be a powerful ally in the efforts to increase trauma awareness, public funding, and injury prevention.

Is AAST online patient education?

The AAST’s online patient education materials may be of limited utility to many patients, as the readability of the information exceeds the average reading skill level of adults in the U.S. Lack of patient comprehension represents a discrepancy that is not in accordance with the goals of the AAST’s objectives for its patient education efforts.

Is AAST website public?

The study was exempt from Institutional Review Board (IRB) review. The website is publicly accessible and was accessed on October 23, 2013. All 16 patient education articles were assessed for this study. No participants were recruited for this study.

image

1.What is the average person's reading level? – Readable

Url:https://readable.com/blog/what-is-the-average-persons-reading-level/

16 hours ago  · What is the average reading level? According to an extensive study carried out every ten years, only the minority of Americans can read at a reading level of nine or above. In …

2.COE - Reading Performance - National Center for …

Url:https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/cnb

6 hours ago  · The average American reads at the 7th- to 8th-grade level, according to The Literacy Project. Medical information for the public should be written at no higher than an …

3.NAEP Reading: State Average Scores

Url:https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/reading/states/scores/

13 hours ago  · The average American reads at the 7th- to 8th-grade level, according to The Literacy Project. Medical information for the public should be written at no higher than an …

4.Average Educational Levels In The U.S.A. By State

Url:https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/us-literacy-rate-by-state.html

20 hours ago When comparing state/jurisdiction average scores in reading for fourth-grade public school students in 2022 with those from 2019, the previous assessment year, ... To view score …

5.Successful Web Content: What Reading Levels Should …

Url:https://expresswriters.com/successful-web-content-reading-levels-aim/

4 hours ago 52 rows ·  · The percentage of US residents who are literate, able to read and write, ranges between 65% and 85%. This wide range is due to a difference in how literacy is …

6.What’s the latest U.S. literacy rate? - Wylie …

Url:https://www.wyliecomm.com/2021/08/whats-the-latest-u-s-literacy-rate/

32 hours ago  · The average adult reads at an 8th-grade level, but that doesn’t mean you should write to that level. Your audience will be the last word on the reading level you aim to hit. Do …

7.Measuring Readability | Clear Language and Design

Url:https://clad.tccld.org/measuring-readability/

3 hours ago The average American reads at the 7th- to 8th-grade level, according to The Literacy Project. [5] Medical information for the public should be written at no higher than an eighth-grade reading …

8.Readability of Patient Education Materials on the …

Url:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4139691/

1 hours ago  · Doak and Doak investigated the reading level of patients at a public hospital, and found the average patient read at a seventh-grade level, despite having reported high school …

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9