The useful starting point
A reader can say a message is clear and still misunderstand its next step. Choose one concrete instruction in a draft and ask a representative reader to explain what they would do. Do not explain the intended answer before hearing their interpretation.
A small step to try
Record the instruction, reader context and observed misunderstanding. Revise the specific gap and try that part again. Keep the exercise small and describe it honestly: one reader’s successful interpretation is useful evidence about that draft, not proof that every audience will understand it. Plain-language review becomes more practical when it follows an actual task.