PROJECT

Analysis Validity and Readibility Level of English Reading Texts in Tenth

Grade High School Book

Subject : Curriculum and Text Book Analysis

Group Member : Agnes Cia Sitinjak (2233121091)
Serli Amanda Siburian (2233121064)
Sriwahyuni Manalu (2233121084)
Sri Ayu Sihombing (2233321023)
Stefani Angelica Sinambela (2233321041)
Class : DIK F 2023
Lecturer : Anggraini Thesisia Saragih, S.Pd., M.Hum

PENDIDIKAN BAHASA INGGRIS

FAKULTAS BAHASA DAN SENI
UNIVERSITAS NEGERI MEDAN
2024
 PREFACE

First of all, thank God Almighty for His help, the author was able to complete the
Projectlecture assignment entitled Curriculum and Text Book.
On this occasion we would like to express our deepest gratitude to the lecturers in the
Curriculum and Text Book course Ma’am Anggraini Thesisia Saragih, S.Pd, M.Hum. Who has
given us the opportunity to make this task. We also thank those who have helped in completing
this task.
Through this Project, it is hoped that readers will be able to understand how important
Curriculum and Text Book in our daily activities, especially for students in English
Department. Of course, there are still many mistakes in preparing this Project. For this reason,
we highly expect constructive criticism and suggestions for the perfection of this work.

Medan, June 2024

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 PREFACE
PREFACE .......................................................................................................................... 2
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................... 4
A. BACKGROUND ................................................................................................... 4
B. PROBLEM STATEMENT .................................................................................. 4
CHAPTER II REVIEW OF LITERATURE ................................................................. 5
CHAPTER III METHOD ................................................................................................ 7
CHAPTER IV RESULTS AND DISCUSSION ............................................................. 9
A. FINDINGS ............................................................................................................. 9
B. DISCUSSION ........................................................................................................ 9
CHAPTER V CONCLUSION ......................................................................................... 12
A. CONCLUSION ..................................................................................................... 12
B. SUGGESTION ...................................................................................................... 12
REFERENCE .................................................................................................................... 13

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 CHAPTER I
A. BACKGROUND
In today's global education context, mastery of English is not only a necessity, but also a
must. The book "English: Work in Progress for SMA/SMK/MA Class X" is one of the learning
resources used by students in Indonesia to improve their English skills. However, the
importance of the validity and readability of the reading texts in the book is often not given
enough attention. According to Harmer (2007), "Text readability is key to ensuring that
students not only understand the material they read, but also enjoy it." Therefore, this paper
aims to analyze both aspects in the mentioned book.
Effective reading skills are the foundation of successful English learning. Krashen (1982)
states that "Extensive and intensive reading leads to an improvement in overall language
ability." Thus, valid and readable texts not only facilitate the learning process, but also motivate
students to continue learning. This paper will explore the extent to which the reading texts in
this book fulfill these criteria.
Furthermore, the validity of the reading text refers to how accurately the text reflects
authentic and real-life relevant English usage. Hughes (2003) emphasizes that "Validity in the
context of language education is about the relevance and applicability of materials to students'
real world." Therefore, this analysis will assess whether the reading texts in this book reflect
the authentic use of English and are useful to students.
Finally, this paper will provide recommendations based on the findings from the validity
and readability analysis, in the hope that this will contribute to improving the quality of English
learning materials in Indonesia. As Grabe (2009) says, "Good text comprehension is the result
of an interaction between the reader's background knowledge, effective reading strategies, and
the text itself." As such, this paper seeks to ensure that the reading texts in this book support
that interaction effectively.

B. PROBLEM STATEMENT

1. How accurately do the reading texts in the book "English: Work in Progress for
SMA/SMK/MA Class X" reflect the use of English that is authentic and relevant to students'
real-life contexts?
2. Is the readability level of the reading texts in the book appropriate for students'
comprehension ability, considering factors such as sentence complexity, word choice, and text
length?
3. How does the reading text relate to the current English language education curriculum and
does it support the stated learning objectives?

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 CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
The validity and readability of English reading texts play an important role in language
learning. Validity ensures that the text used is appropriate and in line with students' needs and
curriculum objectives, while readability assesses the extent to which students can understand
the text easily. The concept of validity in reading texts includes content, construct and criterion
validity. Content validity ensures that the reading material covers the skills and knowledge that
students must master, as explained by Bachman and Palmer (1996). Construct validity
examines whether the text reflects the desired language learning theory, as emphasized by
Messick (1989). Criterion validity assesses the association between reading texts and external
measures such as standardized tests, which supports the effectiveness of texts in predicting
students' language performance (Alderson, 2000).
Readability of reading text involves the ease of understanding the text by readers,
influenced by vocabulary, sentence structure, and text organization. Readability formulas such
as Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level and Gunning Fog Index are used to assess text complexity.
Klare (1974-75) provides an in-depth review of this formula, identifying its strengths and
weaknesses in the evaluation of reading texts. Factors such as vocabulary familiarity, sentence
length, and syntactic complexity greatly influence readability, as identified by Chall and Dale
(1995). Cohesion and coherence, which include the use of linguistic devices to connect
sentences and the logical flow of ideas, are also important for readability, as discussed by
Halliday and Hasan (1976).
Various studies have investigated the validity and readability of English reading texts
in educational contexts. Content analyzes by Hinkel (2002) and Byrd (2001) assessed the
content validity of reading materials used in ESL/EFL classrooms, ensuring that the texts were
appropriate to curriculum objectives and students' language proficiency levels. Research by
Crossley, Greenfield, and McNamara (2008) used computational tools to assess the readability
of academic texts, highlighting the importance of selecting texts appropriate to students'
reading abilities. Studies by Watanabe (1997) and Koda (2005) explored the relationship
between text readability and students' reading comprehension, showing that texts with
appropriate readability levels improve overall language comprehension and acquisition.
The implications of this validity and readability analysis are very important for
educators and materials developers. The selection of valid and readable texts must consider the
student's level of proficiency, interests and learning goals. The development of reading
materials must use a readability formula and validity framework to create texts that are
challenging but still accessible to students. Continuous evaluation of the validity and
readability of reading texts is essential to ensure that materials remain relevant and effective in
supporting language learning. The validity and readability of appropriate reading texts can
improve students' reading comprehension and overall language proficiency, as proven by
research in various educational contexts.
While there are numerous readability formulae available for determining a text's level
of readability, some are more well-known and often utilized than others. Flesch Readability
Formula is one of them. One of the readability formulae that is thought to be the most accurate
is the Flesch formula. In 1948, Rudolph Flesch developed it. This formula is a straightforward
method for determining the reader's grade level. It is also one of the few reliable measurements
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available that we can depend on without doing a lot of research. There are two types of
readability formulas: Flesch Kincaid and Flesch Reading Ease.
Flesch's Reading Ease formula emerged as the most tried-and-true after Dubay
(1990:58). All that needs to be calculated is the number of syllables, words, and sentences. The
formula offers the ideal balance between readability and significance. Furthermore, the Flesch
readability formula works best and is suited for reading passages written in English for school
texts, while the other formulas are useful and may be applied to other written forms, such as
journalism, articles, and newspapers.

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 CHAPTER III
METHOD

This research will use a mixed methods approach to analyze the validity and readability
of English reading texts in the book "English: English: Work in Progress for SMA/SMK/MA
Class X". This approach combines quantitative and qualitative methods to gain a
comprehensive understanding of the text. A purposive sampling method will be used to select
representative reading texts from different units throughout the book. This will ensure a diverse
range of topics and text structures are analyzed.
The researcher used descriptive qualitative analysis method in doing this research, in
which they tried to describe, elaborate, collect, and analyze the readability level of text
difficulties in the book "English: English: Work in Progress for SMA/SMK/MA Class X". In
quantitative data the scores obtained from the Flesch-Kincaid formula will be analyzed to
determine the average readability level of the text. This will be compared to the intended grade
level of the book (Grade X) to assess its feasibility.
The technique to collect the data in this study is by using the books, and the reading
texts available on an English textbook entitle English textbook entitled Work In Progress.
And the steps of collecting data are as follows:
1. Determined the English textbook for Senior high school
2. Identified the reading text on English textbook entitle English textbook entitled Work In
Progress, Esensi Bahasa Inggris, English BookTextbook for the Tenth Grade of Senior High
School Students Published by Kemendikbud and Mediatama.
3. Read the text carefully
4. Counted the number of sentence, words, and syllables in each text.
In this paper, the researchers used flesch readability formula because the formula is the easier
to analyze the English texts, the writer conducted four steps in analyzing the data are as
follow:
1. Firstly, the writer selected the text in the textbooks at least one text from each chapters
from the three books, then input them to another paper.
2. After that, analyzed and counted the sentences, words and syllables in each text.
3. Measured the readability of each text based on the Flesch readability formula.
4. Determined the grade of each of reading text by comparing the result of the score to the
other criteria as shown in the readability table, which ones are relevant to Tenth grade senior
high school level.
In addition, there is simple way that help researchers to analyze the readability level by
using a website of readability formula, namely https://readibilityformulas.com
Below are these steps in using website of readability formula as follows:
1. Open the website namely

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 https://readibilityformulas.com and https://syllablecounter.net
2. After that, choose one of readability formulas that you want. There are six kinds of
readability formulas, such as the Flesch Reading Ease formula, the Flesch-Kincaid Grade
Level, Fog Scale ( Gunning FOG Formula ), the SMOG index, the Coleman Liau Index,
Automated Readability Index, Linsear Write Formula.
3. Then, click the calculator of each formula. After click the area, will be there is a
direction to copy paste the text.
4. After copying paste the text, click check the readability and the formula will work and
also showing the text readability automatically, including the number of sentence, words,
syllables and characters.
5. Analyze the readability level of texts based on The Grade-level Scores and The Flesch
Reading Ease Score.

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 CHAPTER IV
A. FINDINGS

Table Summary from the book

No. Number Sentences Words Syllables Score Grade Degree of difficulty

of text level

1. Text 1 18 288 429 8,23 8th Slightly difficult

2. Text 2 22 226 357 7,06 7th Average

3. Text 3 20 263 378 6,5 6th Fairly easy

4. Text 4 46 359 581 6,55 7th Average

5. Text 5 24 375 532 7,24 7th Average

6. Text 6 93 804 1038 5.2 5th Very Easy

Based on the data above the result finding for Flesch-Kincaid Reading Age of text 1 is 8,23.
The estimated reading grade is 8 grade. And the readability of the text is slightly difficult. The
result finding for Flesch-Kincaid Reading Age of text 2 is 7,06. The estimated reading grade is
7 grade. and the readability of the text is average. The result finding for Flesch-Kincaid Reading
Age of text 3 is 6,5. The estimated reading grade is 8 grade. and the readability of the text is
sligtly fairly easy. The result finding for Flesch-Kincaid Reading Age of text 4 is 6,55. The
estimated reading grade is 7 grade. and the readability of the text is average. The result finding
for Flesch-Kincaid Reading Age of text 5 is 7,24. The estimated reading grade is 7 grade. And
the readability of the text is avErage. The result finding for Flesch-Kincaid Reading Age of
text 6 is 5,2. The estimated reading grade is 4 grade. and the readability of the text is very easy.
B. DISCUSSION
The Flesch-Kincaid Reading Age test is a widely used tool for assessing the readability of
written texts. The test provides an estimate of the grade level of the text based on factors such
as sentence length, word length, and complexity. The results of the test can be used to determine
whether a text is suitable for a particular audience or to identify areas where the text may need
to be simplified.
In the given data, the Flesch-Kincaid Reading Age of the six texts ranges from 5.2 to 8.23.
The estimated reading grade for each text is also provided, ranging from 4 to 8. The readability
of each text is classified as very easy, slightly difficult, average, or slightly fairly easy.

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Validity of the Flesch-Kincaid Reading Age Test
The validity of the Flesch-Kincaid Reading Age test refers to its ability to accurately
measure what it claims to measure. In this case, the test is designed to estimate the grade level
of a text based on its readability. The test's validity can be evaluated by examining its
correlation with other measures of readability and by considering the theoretical foundations
of the test.
The Flesch-Kincaid Reading Age test is based on the idea that the complexity of a text
is related to the average length of its sentences and the average number of syllables per word.
This is a reasonable assumption, as longer sentences and more complex vocabulary tend to be
associated with higher reading levels. The test's formula takes into account these factors and
provides an estimate of the grade level of the text.
The test's validity can be supported by its correlation with other measures of readability.
For example, the Flesch Reading Ease test, which is similar to the Flesch-Kincaid Reading Age
test but uses a different formula, has been shown to be highly correlated with the Flesch-
Kincaid test. This suggests that both tests are measuring similar aspects of readability and are
therefore valid measures.
Readability of the Texts
The readability of the six texts can be evaluated based on their Flesch-Kincaid Reading
Age scores. The scores range from 5.2 to 8.23, indicating that the texts vary in their level of
complexity.
Text 6 has the lowest Flesch-Kincaid Reading Age score, at 5.2, indicating that it is
written at a very easy level. This is consistent with the estimated reading grade of 4, which
suggests that the text is suitable for early elementary school students.
Texts 1 and 3 have higher Flesch-Kincaid Reading Age scores, at 8.23 and 6.5,
respectively. These scores indicate that these texts are written at a slightly difficult and slightly
fairly easy level, respectively. The estimated reading grades for these texts are 8 and 7,
respectively, suggesting that they are suitable for older elementary school students or early
middle school students.
Texts 2, 4, and 5 have average Flesch-Kincaid Reading Age scores, ranging from 6.55
to 7.24. These scores indicate that these texts are written at an average level of complexity, and
the estimated reading grades of 7 for each text suggest that they are suitable for middle school
students.
Implications for Writing and Reading
The results of the Flesch-Kincaid Reading Age test have implications for both writing
and reading. For writers, the test can be used to evaluate the readability of their text and to
identify areas where they may need to simplify their language. This can be particularly
important for writers who are targeting a specific audience, such as young children or non-
native English speakers.
For readers, the test can be used to assess their reading level and to identify texts that
are suitable for their skill level. This can be helpful for readers who are looking to improve
their reading skills or who are struggling with more complex texts.
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 The Flesch-Kincaid Reading Age test is a widely used tool for assessing the readability
of written texts. The test provides an estimate of the grade level of the text based on factors
such as sentence length, word length, and complexity. The results of the test can be used to
evaluate the readability of a text and to identify areas where the text may need to be simplified.
The test's validity can be supported by its correlation with other measures of readability
and by considering the theoretical foundations of the test. The readability of the six texts in the
given data varies, ranging from very easy to slightly difficult. The test's results have
implications for both writing and reading, and can be used to evaluate the suitability of a text
for a particular audience.

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 CHAPTER V
CONCLUSION

A. CONCLUSION
The analysis of the validity and readability level of English reading texts reveals several
important insights. Firstly, valid texts are those that accurately reflect the intended learning
outcomes and align with curriculum standards. These texts effectively cover relevant topics,
vocabulary, and grammar, ensuring that students gain the intended knowledge and skills.
Readability, on the other hand, focuses on how easily the text can be understood by the
target audience. Texts with appropriate readability levels are essential for effective learning, as
overly complex texts can hinder comprehension and engagement, while overly simple texts
may not challenge students adequately.
The study likely found a range of texts varying in both validity and readability. Ideally,
texts used in educational settings should be both valid and appropriately readable, tailored to
the students' proficiency levels. Texts that meet these criteria contribute significantly to
students' language development and academic success.
B. SUGGESTION

To enhance the validity and readability level of English reading texts, I suggest
incorporating a combination of strategies. Firstly, it is crucial to ensure that the texts are
relevant and engaging to the target audience. This can be achieved by selecting topics that are
of interest to the readers and using vivid descriptions to make the content more captivating.
Additionally, using clear and concise language, avoiding jargon and technical terms, and
breaking up long sentences into shorter ones can significantly improve the readability level of
the texts. Furthermore, incorporating visual aids such as images, diagrams, and charts can help
to illustrate complex concepts and make the content more accessible to a broader range of
readers. Finally, providing a summary or abstract at the beginning of the text can help readers
quickly grasp the main ideas and improve their overall understanding of the content. By
implementing these strategies, English reading texts can be made more valid and readable,
ultimately enhancing the learning experience for readers.

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Nony MillaNium Napitupulu, M. Y. (2022). PENGEMBANGAN INSTRUMEN TES
BERBASIS HOTS (HIGHER ORDER. Jurnal sekolah PGSD FIP UNIMED, 162- 168.
Patricia Adelina Lumban Gaol, W. S. (2020). CONTENT VALIDITY OF ENGLISH
SUMMATIVE TEST ITEMS. English Departmen UNIMED.
Budy hermawan, d. h. (2022). Work in Progress. Jakarta: Kemendikbud.
Yulianto. ( 2019). An Analysis on Readability Level of English Reading Texts. journal of
english for academiuc, 81-91.
S, H. (2014). The Readability of Science: Student’s Book for junior high school Year VIII
Viewed From The Lexical and Grammatical aspects. International Journal of, 12-25.
Imam Safi'i, W. T. (2021). The Readibility Of Articles In Electronic Book For Schools
Indonesian Language Textbook. Jurnal Pendidikan Edutama, 25-31.

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