Readability characteristics of texts in middle school Turkish textbooks

Abstract

Turkish textbooks are important tools for gaining skills and competencies identified in curriculum. Textbooks should be designed to contribute to students’ basic language skills as well as high level thinking skills in alignment with curriculum. The texts to be selected for textbooks should be prepared in alignment with the targeted skills and learning outcomes in terms of visuals and content. Textbooks kids encounter during elementary education play an important role in their upbringing as individuals with reading habits in later phases of their education. Therefore, texts to be included in textbooks should be selected carefully to reflect the best examples of text types, to be compatible with the child’s language and meaning universe, and should be understandable. In this study, the readibility levels of texts in Turkish course textbooks were analyzed. Readibility levels reveal the comprehensibleness of texts. Readability depends on the number of words in a sentence and syllables in a word. First the average word and sentence length were calculated and then the readibility scores of texts were calculated. Two formulas adapted to Turkish were used in identifying the readibility levels of texts. The findings were analyzed comparatively. The results showed that the readability levels of narrative texts are easier compared to informing texts.