Should Authors Use Simpler Words in Their Books?

No. There. That’s it!

I’m kidding. There is a lot more to unpack about this topic, and I’m here to help with that.

No, those wanting simpler language are not stupid and authors aren’t being difficult or ablest for not complying to the request. The problem lays in the education system—or lack there of— when it comes to vocabulary and reading comprehension.

When reading books, I can understand why someone would ask for books to be simplified, at the same time they are approaching this in the wrong way.

As someone who used to hate reading because she struggled with it, who is now passionate for writing, and teaches others how to read… I have empathy for their situation.

Those wanting simplified language options for adult literature might be thinking a few things:

1. I want to read the same books as my friends but struggles understanding it.
2. I’m not an avid reader and haven’t developed the skills to navigate what happens when I run into trouble.
3. And, most likely— I was told what to do when reading, but I was never shown how to read. Basically, learning helplessness.

So, how do we approach helping someone in this situation?

It all comes down to education.

These people haven’t been taught to figure things out and instead except others to do it for them. They were the kids that didn’t see the point or understand the importance of the work at the time and now realize that they need those skills. They haven’t developed proper vocabulary, reading comprehension, and decoding skills to help them succeed.

Which is what I’m going to do for you today.

If you are someone who struggles with reading, or know someone who does, this post is for you.

Here’s what needs to be done:

Step One: Understand it is hard, but it will get better with work

It is embarrassing to pick up a book that your peers are reading and see words you don’t understand.

I’ve been there. It sucks, and I’m sorry you’re going through it.

That doesn’t mean you give up. That doesn’t mean you ask people to change so you can read their work. You must pull up your socks and do some work, if you really want to read this book.

As someone that went from reading books like Gem Princess or Magic Tree House to books like Clan of the Cave Bear, Lord of the Rings, and Outlander… I feel confident that I can teach you to read the books you want without you going back to school grade readers.

(Also, with my insight as a writer, I can give you ideas on what to look for that can help improve your reading experience.)

It’s not going to be easy.

This is going to be tedious, but it will help change your approach to reading and hopefully help you face these challenges better in the future.

First things first: Tools

You will need a highlighter, post-its, dictionary, notebook, and pencil.

Highlighter is going to help you keep the flow when reading and find the word you struggled with after.

Post-its will help you find key information quickly.

Dictionary is going to help you figure out that word.

Notebook is going to be where you write down that word and definition.

Pencil… well it pretty much writes itself, now doesn’t it. 😛

(If you prefer you can use the notes app on your phone as well to record this information).

Next: Look at your book

You are going to look at the cover of your book and if there is one, read the description on the back. The description will give you an idea of what the author is aiming for in the story.

Write down the hints, colours, shapes/pictures/symbols.

What does this cover make you think/feel will happen?

What connects the cover with the back description?

Next: Open the book.

Put a post-it on the map, character page, and translation pages—if there are any. This will help you when you need to flip back to look at this information.

Now, flip to the first chapter.

Tackling the chapters:

If there is a title, consider why the author chose that title name. Again, what are the hints? Authors love leaving hints.

Why do you think they chose that title?

What do you think will happen from what you already know?

Basically the: who, what, where, when, why, how.

When you are reading and find a word you don’t understand. Here is what you do:

Break it into smaller words.

For example:

Because          be-cause

If breaking the word into pieces doesn’t work, highlight it, and reread the sentence missing that word.

For example:

She was happy ________ he was there.

Sometimes you’ll be able to figure out the meaning of the word by what is written around it.

If that still doesn’t work, write down the word in your notebook. Use your dictionary—or search engine— to find what the word means. Sometimes it will come with a pronunciation guide. Google Translate also can be helpful with sounding things out.

Write down the definition.

Practice the word twice and then reread the sentence—or paragraph if needed.

You are also allowed to highlight and continue reading, doing the research after you are done.

Rinse and repeat for the rest of the book.

By the end of the book, you will have a list of words and their definitions. Either you have read them enough in the book—because authors love reusing certain words—or you can review them on your own time to better build your vocabulary.

And, there you have it!

You are now on your way to not only improving your literacy but also becoming a more confident and competent reader.

Hope that helps!

Until next time—toodles for now!