Edward Fry developed one of the more popular Reading Formulas – the Fry Graph Readability Formula. Fry, who worked as a Fulbright Scholar in Uganda, also helped teachers to teach English as a Second Language (ESL) for a few years, from 1963 and onwards. During his early days, Fry developed readability tests based on graph [A Readability Formula That Saves Time, Journal of Reading (1968)]. This graph-based test determined readability through high school; it was validated with materials from primary and secondary schools and with results of other readability formulas.


In 1969, Fry extended the graph to primary levels. In his book Elementary Reading Instruction in 1977, Fry extended the graph to test through the college years. Fry advised that an individual’s vocabulary continues to grow during college years, yet the reading ability varies depending on the individual and the subjects taught.

Fry went on to become Director of the Reading Center of Rutgers University and an authority on how people learn to read.

The Fry Graph Readability Formula and its associated Graph are often used to provide a consensus of readability for regulatory purposes, such as readability in the healthcare industry, to ensure a wider portion of the population can understand and access publications with a high level of readability.