Goldenturtle, it's a very interesting point you're raising there... I wish all manufacturers would adopt a skill level' system in the style of Revell's or Airfix's. Honestly, take any Skill Level 1 kit from Revell, and most newcomers will have no trouble completing the kit (Airfix is a bit different becausae of all those very old kits they still have in their catalogue, but still, it's a helful guide).
Having run a Junior Model Club for over 5 years, I can tell you that a big problem in getting kids to stick to the hobby is the fact that parents and grand-parents love to give their kid(s) the biggest model they can find in the shop. Which is often well above the skill level of the average newcomer / beginner...
That's why we 'experienced' modelers are better placed than others to 'pass on ' our knowledge and love of the hobby. Kids do need, crave, attention, and it's with our help that most kids /newcomers will manage to pass the 'tests' given to us by poor instruction sheets, confusing colour instructions, poor fit and the like.
As to the colour instructions, Fuzzy, do you remember the Matchbox kits..? Those were simply great, with the 2 or 3 different schemes shown full colour at the back of the box and in the instruction sheet, the colours refs given for several makes. Italeri and Frog did that too (Well, Frog did it first!). Not only were they very useful, but they were attractive and probably a good reason why I eventually made my way through 95% of Matchbox's AFVs and Aircraft range...