CHAPTER 27: Readability: A Factor in Textbook Evaluation

Selecting an appropriate text for a school mathematics program is an important task and should not be taken lightly. Because mathematics has a language of its own, one of the factors that should be considered in textbook selection is readability.

Mathematics teachers are aware that reading mathematics material is different from reading other subject matter. Reading in mathematics is more than reading words. It involves decoding the words; decoding and interpreting the various mathematical symbols; and being able to interpret, comprehend, and solve mathematical sentences and phrases. The mathematics textbook serves as an aid in developing language in mathematics.

One way in which students acquire skills and knowledge is by reading instructional materials; therefore, they must have textbooks that are easy to read and comprehend. Progress in learning mathematics and the language of mathematics will be achieved if the reading level of the textbooks is appropriate to the grade or course for which the texts are intended.