The universal concern that children’s reading standards have declined is no longer based on an urban myth – the cause for concern is a reality. Researchers at Dundee University have analysed children’s reading habits throughout primary and secondary school and discovered that the level of difficulty of the books being read has declined steadily.

The study showed that in the first few years of education, pupils generally read “above what would be age appropriate” but by the time they reached the last two years of secondary school children read “well below what might be expected at this age”.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar – that favourite with tots – is one of the most popular books among 14 to 16-year-olds. It shouldn’t be. Children of this age ought to be reading To Kill a Mockingbird and Wuthering Heights, but these two classics have slipped out of the most popular books for teenagers.

So now we know for certain that children read books below their reading age – if they read at all – what impact does that have on writing for websites?

The answer is, there’s a significant impact. There is no point – if there ever was – in writing reams of text, with big words and long sentences if it goes over the heads of the readers. Visitors to a website want to understand what they are being offered. If they don’t ‘get it’ instantly, they’ll go elsewhere.

As the reading ability of the nation’s children continues to decline, businesses need to respond with appropriately-pitched text. It’s a sad case but true, that our website audience has a low average reading age and text needs to reflect that.

If you would like any advice on writing for your website, please get in touch.