Rules of thumb for writing for kids aged 10-13?

August 5, 2024 11:58 PM

IIRC, stories in most North American newspapers are written at a grade 4-6 level, would mainstream news be a good reference?

Lots of pedagogical guides are out there, of course, however I don’t have time to read 100-page documents right now. Just looking for a quick/dirty guide.

(Referring to kids at an average proficiency level for that age range, please!)

posted by cotton dress sock to Education (3 answers total)

I’m assuming it would be wise to largely stick with shorter, simpler words and sentences?
posted by cotton dress sock at 12:00 AM on August 6

I try to write at about a Grade 5 level and my super quick rules of thumb are to keep sentences under 8 words long, and keep words under 7 letters long. You can input your text into a Reading Level Calculator to see how it measures up and whether swapping out certain words or shortening your sentences will affect the reading level.
posted by nouvelle-personne at 12:05 AM on August 6

My daughter was a reader and never had trouble following a story. There were a few time we learned that she knew a word's meaning but not its pronunciation. Chauffeur, eavesdrop, etc. I remember making the connection between the written word debris, and the spoken word when I was a kid.
posted by SemiSalt at 5:18 AM on August 6