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)

Response by poster: 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

Best answer: 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 [3 favorites]

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