Toolkit for Making Written Material Clear and Effective

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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