View the original, full toolkit on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services website.

The  Toolkit for Making Written Material Clear and Effective is a health literacy resource from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).  As shown below, this 11-part Toolkit provides a detailed and comprehensive set of tools to help you make written material in printed formats easier for people to read, understand, and use.

Toolkit Part 1: About this toolkit and how it can help you

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Toolkit Part 2: Using a reader-centered approach to develop and test written material

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Toolkit Part 3: Summary List of the “Toolkit Guidelines for Writing and Design”

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Toolkit Part 4: Guidelines for Writing

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• Chapter 1: Guidelines for content of your written material
• Chapter 2: Guidelines for organization (grouping, sequencing, and labeling the content)
• Chapter 3: Guidelines for writing style
• Chapter 4: Guidelines for engaging, motivating, and supporting your readers

Toolkit Part 5: Understanding and using the “Toolkit Guidelines for Graphic Design”

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• Chapter 1: Tips for learning about design and working with design professionals
• Chapter 2: Guidelines for overall design and page layout
• Chapter 3: Guidelines for fonts (typefaces), size of print, and contrast
• Chapter 4: Guidelines for headings, bulleted lists, and emphasizing blocks of text 
• Chapter 5: Tips for use of color
• Chapter 6: Guidelines for use of photographs, illustrations, and clip art
• Chapter 7: Guidelines for tables, charts, and diagrams
• Chapter 8: Guidelines for forms and questionnaires

Toolkit Part 6: How to collect and use feedback from readers

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• Chapter 1: Introduction to feedback sessions
• Chapter 2: What is involved in doing a project to get feedback from readers?
• Chapter 3: Introducing the four methods for getting feedback from readers
• Chapter 4: Five steps for designing a reader feedback session
• Chapter 5: Creating a list of feedback issues to use in testing the material
• Chapter 6: Should you do individual interviews or focus groups?
• Chapter 7: Which feedback methods work best for which purposes?
• Chapter 8: Phrasing your questions to get the most useful feedback from readers
• Chapter 9: Tips for collecting particular types of feedback from readers
• Chapter 10: Creating a written guide for conducting feedback sessions (Unavailable)
• Chapter 11: Creating and using a session summary form (Unavailable)
• Chapter 12: Should you do audio or video recording of your sessions?
• Chapter 13: Choosing a location for your feedback sessions
• Chapter 14: How will you select and recruit participants?
• Chapter 15: Tips for recruiting people on site for immediate participation in a feedback interview
• Chapter 16: Tips for recruiting people by telephone to set appointments for feedback sessions
• Chapter 17: Conducting feedback interviews and taking notes
• Chapter 18: Tips for effective interviewing technique
• Chapter 19: Using feedback from readers to improve written material

Toolkit Part 7: Using readability formulas: A cautionary note

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Why be cautious about using readability formulas?

• Reason for caution 1: Readability formulas ignore most factors that contribute to ease of reading and comprehension.
• Reason for caution 2: Grade level scores tend to be unreliable.
• Reason for caution 3: Grade level scores are less precise than they sound and prone to misinterpretation.
• Reason for caution 4: Imposing a grade level requirement has the potential to do harm.

Recommendations for using readability formulas 

• Recommendation 1:  Do not use readability formulas to assess overall suitability.
• Recommendation 2:  Pick your formula and method carefully.
• Recommendation 3:  Interpret reading grade level scores broadly as indicating a general range of difficulty.
• Recommendation 4:  Report grade level scores in ways that acknowledge their narrow scope and limitations.

Toolkit Part 8: Will your written material be on a website?

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Toolkit Part 9: Things to know if your written material is for older adults

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Toolkit Part 10: “Before and after” example: Using this Toolkit’s guidelines to revise a brochure

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Toolkit Part 11: Understanding and using the “Toolkit Guidelines for Culturally Appropriate Translation”

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