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RE: Commnicating with an audience of low literacy levels
Subject:RE: Commnicating with an audience of low literacy levels From:"Dori Green" <dgreen -at- associatedbrands -dot- com> To:<techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com> Date:Fri, 11 May 2007 09:11:08 -0400
Gene Kim-Eng wrote:
...the average
18-24 year old American reads at a sixth grade level.
_____________________
Not only is that depressing, here's what I discovered when I spent a year as a Title I Remedial Writing tutor working with 7th-11th graders:
That sixth-grade level is the mid-point of the bell curve, and the curve does not count those people whose reading is so poor that they don't function within the "average" employable population -- so every upper-level reader swings the curve for 50 or more low-level readers. There is more of them than there is of us, Pogo.
And among the low-level readers are many who have developed remarkable survival tactics to mask the fact that their reading _and comprehension_ is so poor. A large number of them score well on "reading tests" but can't follow instructions to fill out a form or prepare a packaged noodle dinner without pictures.
Not surprisingly, reading levels tend to be low among prison inmates as a group. There is a direct correlation between low literacy and violence. Any time anybody has spare books after their garage sale (or before), the nearest prison will gladly accept them as a donation. Spare time spent with inmates as a Literacy Volunteer can improve a life and make society better.
Also not surprisingly, income tends to follow the reading level curve. If I'm writing instructions for workers whose job requires a college degree (e.g., programmers or lab techs), I can expect success at a sixth-grade level and I can probably even put the procedures into reference manuals. These employees don't read technical material from cover to cover, they look things up -- so a comprehensive index is a good idea.
On the other hand, if I'm writing production line station instructions for a $7.50/hour job the instructions had better be formatted as one or two pages, and be laminated to attach to the wall or the machine itself in front of the operator's nose, as much to serve as a consistency reminder for the trainer as to provide a guide to the employee. Most of these employees aren't book people, cover-to-cover or any other way. It's also more important to "engage" (include) the employees in the creation of the instructions so they feel a sense of ownership and empowerment to suggest improvements to the documents.
One last thought -- a low reading level often has no connection to a person's intelligence, and many non-readers are very sensitive about this. "College people" or "Cubicle people" are often viewed with suspicion and have to make some extra effort to connect as peers with the people on the line. Spending a half-day on the line once in a while and eating lunch in the production cafeteria instead of the staff lounge can make the job of SME connection a lot easier.
If somebody just doesn't "get the language thing" (reading and writing) by sixth grade, it can be difficult to patch the gap. Of course groups such as Literacy Volunteers have shown that it's possible -- but ask any volunteer or person who's succeeded in the program if it's easy.
Hmm -- I think I just found the topic for my next STC and/or ASQ conference presentation or journal article! And a reminder for myself that I need to take a refresher course with LV and start volunteering at the women's prison around the corner.
Dori Green
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