Damn that can't be true, I can't believe that. My younger sister is entering the 5th grade. I refuse to believe that, you're telling me I could find someone here on the coli who's reading comprehension is that of a 6th grader.
Oh yeah I forgot to finish posting my thoughts on the 5th season; good looking out.
From Michigan tech
Create reader-friendly web content by simplifying text for easy comprehension. General writing tips for simplicity, clarity, and consistency.
www.mtu.edu
Writing simply doesn't mean you're talking down to people. In fact, most folks appreciate getting information quickly. So, simplifying things actually makes you look smart!
When it comes to making content easy to understand, remember these guidelines:
85% of a general audience understand information at an eighth-grade reading level.
Best-selling novels are often written at a seventh-grade reading level.
Aim for a 10th-grade reading level for a graduate-level audience.
Back in the day I used to write science fiction that was much like a fictionalized version of molecular biologist research, which I was doing at the time.
Many of my friends told me they had to "wait to get to this," or "read this first thing in the AM" because even though it was amateurs writing, the type of writing was one that they were unfamiliar with, with most of them having achieved degrees in the humanities.
One of these stories I showed to my professor who told me to submit it to a scientific journal, which was flattering in its implications, but it's readership...wouldn't be anyone that I knew.
It's uunfortunately very true that most people are not, or haven't been given a fair shot at being equipped with the tools to be able to handle complex information, especially textual.