Thesis:

An Evaluation and Analysis of the Readability Level of the ۶th Grade Persian Textbook (Bekhanim) Based on the Gunning Fog٫ Fry٫ and McLaughlin Formulas

The present study was conducted with the aim of scientifically evaluating and analyzing the readability level of the "Let's Read Persian" textbook for the sixth grade of elementary school (academic year 2023-2024) and assessing its appropriateness for the cognitive and linguistic abilities of students at this level. In terms of methodology, this is a descriptive research employing quantitative content analysis. The primary analytical tools were three standard readability indices: the Fry Readability Graph, the Gunning Fog Index, and the McLaughlin Index. The statistical population consisted of the entire main textual content of the 17 lessons in the aforementioned book. Sampling for each index was systematically carried out from the initial, middle, and final sections of the book according to its specific methodological rules (100-word samples for Fry and Gunning Fog, and a 30-sentence sample for McLaughlin). The data analysis revealed a significant divergence among the indices. According to the Fry Readability Graph, the text's difficulty level corresponds to the sixth-grade level ; it was also determined that the book structurally adheres well to the "simple-to-difficult" educational principle. In contrast, the McLaughlin Index assessed the book's readability level as equivalent to the twelfth grade (suitable for an 18-year-old) , while the Gunning Fog Index rated it as appropriate for the university level (third year). A comparative analysis indicated that the primary source of this difficulty, more than syntactic structure, is the high density of multi-syllable words in the text, which, due to the incomplete adaptation of these indices to the structure of the Persian language, has led to an overestimation of the difficulty. Despite the book possessing a logical educational structure and appropriate sequencing of content, its linguistic content, particularly in the domain of vocabulary, is significantly more difficult than the target audience's grade level. This mismatch can act as a serious barrier to students' independent reading comprehension and challenge the full achievement of educational objectives. Therefore, a revision of the book's vocabulary selection and the development of localized readability indices for the Persian language appear necessary.

Keywords: Keywords: Content Analysis, Readability Level, Sixth Grade Persian