E D Hirsch

author. While giving tests of relative readability at two colleges in Virginia, he discovered that, while the relative readability of a text was an important factor in determining comprehension, an even more important factor was background knowledge. (hmm, is that self-referential?) Hirsch founded the Core Knowledge Foundation in 1986, and wrote Cultural Literacy: What Every American Needs To Know* in 1987. He also co-wrote The Dictionary of Cultural Literacy.* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E.D._Hirsch