Jon Sampson

A blog even 8-year-olds can read

Recently, a few of my wonderful family members have pointed to a blog reading level test that will tell you at what reading level your blog or website registers. Grete came in with a smirk two days ago mentioning her blog was at a post-graduate level. Yesterday, I received an email from my mother-in-law mentioning her level at junior high.

At the end of both “conversations” they each smugly pointed to my rating…

cash advance

Of course, it was all in good, loving fun (right?), but honestly, I’m proud of my badge. I’m betting they judge a reading level based on sentence length and vocabulary. I write short sentences. And I’m ok with that.

Plus, some of the big, important, and highly visited blogs I follow also tested at an elementary reading level, so I feel I’m in good company…

godinlevel.jpg

flowerdustlevel.jpg

lifechurchlevel.jpg

There are more, but that should be enough for a nice, random sample.

So here’s the lesson: More complex writing does not necessarily mean better writing.

So now, we can all be proud of each other – my post-grad wife, my junior high mother-in-law (and brother-in-law), a genius cousin (who started this whole thing, by the way), and this elementary-level husband.

Jon

6 responses to “A blog even 8-year-olds can read”

  1. RC of strangeculture

    My blog’s considered college undergraduate.

    I’m glad you’re at an elementary level. you’ve long said simplier is better and i’m glad you’re living by your own rules.

    Reply
  2. RC of strangeculture

    i’ve been thinking about this (since i commented 30 minutes ago…)

    but it’s funny because my mom and your mother-in-law have both made comments about how your blog is “above their head.”

    so reading level maybe elementary…but topicly…you are very intellegent.

    Plus, I think this “readability test” should also be based on whether or not your blog uses pictures.

    Swerve never has any pictures….so I don’t know what elementary level this test is talking about, but without pictures it’s not very fun for kids, even if the writing level is simple 🙂

    Reply
  3. RC of strangeculture

    my apologies, but this is my real-time enjoyment of this rating tool. It works on other sites other than blogs. MSNBC is considered junior high, while CNN and FoxNews are both High School. Surprisingly the New York Times is Junior High also.

    Anyways, with so many comments, I should probably just write my own post…but i’m having so much fun now, so you’re getting all the comments. I will try to make this my last one.

    Reply
  4. Erin

    mine is elementary school level too if it makes you feel better. but i seem to remember that being the goal of journalism. we are amazing journalist…we can explain the graduate level stuff at a level anyone can understand. that takes talent.

    Reply
  5. Dawn

    Ok…so I see you are still feeling the need to justify your readability level. Now that you have declared so publicly that elementary is better…I am going to have to run this test over time to see if you purposefully KEEP it that way or if it sneaks up to the higher echelons of my JUNIOR HIGH level! 🙂 Oh, Ryan…my blog is mostly pictures and I still made junior high. Hmmm.

    Reply
  6. Bill Bartmann

    Cool site, love the info.

    Reply

Leave a reply to Erin Cancel reply