Translation, Readability, and Readership Levels in STEAM Children’s Books: A Theoretical Review

Abstract

Readership classification methods are frequently used to identify the linguistic features appropriate for children at different levels of reading development. Beneath these criteria are theories of increasing complexity and the belief that texts for younger readers should use simpler language. But findings from research into language for children present a more ambivalent picture. While some grammatical structures are difficult for children, others can be understood and produced relatively early as they grow up. Studies of translated works in Indonesia have also shown that texts that may not be fully consistent with official readership criteria nevertheless remain accessible to their intended readers. These observations raise questions about our assumptions regarding the connections among linguistic complexity, readability, readership, and translation. The following article aims to conceptualize how these concepts relate through a theoretical survey of scholarship in translation studies, children’s literature, readability studies, and child language acquisition. Based on foundational and contemporary studies in these areas, the review investigates how we conceptualize readability through the lens of linguistic complexity with respect to children’s language competence, and how these frameworks inform readership typologies and translation practices. The article isn't concerned with analysing a specific translated text, but rather with the theoretical assumptions that guide choices about age-appropriate language and readability in children's books. The review reveals three significant conclusions. First, linguistic complexity is not necessarily homogenous, because various grammatical forms emerge at differing speeds and impose differing stresses on children’s readers. Second, readability is more than linguistic simplification; comprehension is influenced by contextual support, prior knowledge, and the reader's capabilities. Third, readership levels should be understood as pedagogical frames rather than static measures of children’s linguistic capacity. These findings suggest that decisions about children’s literature translation, for instance, STEAM storybooks, are not particularly intuitive regarding age and linguistic difficulty. Readability is not just a function of textual simplicity, but of the interplay among textual features, children’s increasing language competence and translators’ attempts to navigate both accessibility and the educational aspects.