Focusing on your behavioral goals for a publication can help you decide if an information point is fundamental and helps to motivate a desired action. Most of the time, information that falls in the second two categories can be eliminated. This cuts out a lot of detail, but some tough decisions always remain. I try to make sure that pretesting particularly addresses these points, because it's the only way to determine the information that the audience really needs. Writing at the correct reading level for the audience is important, but I also am hearing that I should not write my text with a readability formula in mind.
Most writers intrinsically shy away from formulas.
Yet, because good writers are highly literate themselves, they may not trust their usual instincts to tell them what will work for people with limited reading skills. The checklist in the next section outlines the fundamental principles of writing and designing a low-literacy publication. These guidelines address the readers' needs and should provide a basic framework within which a writer can operate comfortably. I made my written explanation as simple and action-oriented as I could. Then I put it down for a while and came back to it with a critical eye.