The Sweet Spot? Writing for a Reading Age of 12
Jennifer Blunden · Curator The Museum Journal · 2017
Abstract Writing for a reading age of 12 (or Reading Grade Level of 6 to 7) has long been considered a benchmark for accessible writing, the ‘sweet spot’ we should aim for to ensure our texts are accessible to a broad public audience. But what does a reading age of 12 actually mean and is it still useful as a guiding principle? This paper turns to emerging research in the field of academic literacies to review the concept of a reading age of 12 and consider what accessibility means in terms of language. It shows that while the idea of a 12‐year‐old as a benchmark has value, the basis on which it is typically determined is unhelpful if not misleading, and argues for an alternative approach based on meaning. It uses this approach to propose some practical strategies for understanding the key differences between everyday and academic language so that as authors, curators, educators, editors and publishers we can reach our audiences with greater inclusiveness and effectiveness.