How to write sentences for different grade levels?

I'm helping a client with their curriculum for an app that helps kids practice reading. I initially suggested a series of activities/stories for each grade that would focus on different grammar concepts covered in each grade level, but they insisted on just having a database of random sentences written at the appropriate grade levels.

I know the grade level of a text is based on a longer sample than just a single sentence, and I've conveyed this to them, but this is what has been requested. So I've been writing about 20-25 sentences at a time, each featuring vocab words from the specified grade, and then running them through a readability check to get the approximate grade level.

But this means that a lot of the grade 5 and 6 sentences are pretty long/complex in order to maintain the grade level required across the board.

Is this approach okay? Should I put less emphasis on the grade level of the sentences? If so, how do make sure the sentences are the appropriate difficulty for the students? Any advice at all will be EXTREMELY appreciated.

Submitted August 31, 2021 at 08:41AM by yellowbrickdetour https://ift.tt/3jyeN5c