docs: improve readability

CONTRIBUTING.md

@@ -15,13 +15,13 @@ Other processes and specifications that are in use in this repository are:
 
 ## Getting Started
 
-This repository requires that you have [Node.js](https://nodejs.org).
+This repository requires that you have [Node.js](https://nodejs.org) >=12.0.0 installed.
 
-With those in place, you can fork the repository, clone it, and then run `npm install` to install all development dependencies.
+With that in place, you can fork the repository, clone it, and then run `npm install` to install all dependencies.
 
 ### Development Workflow
 
-After cloning and installing all the dependencies, there are several commands available for local development:
+After cloning the repository and installing all the dependencies, there are several commands available for local development:
 
 -   `npm run lint` - Lints everything in src directory
 -   `npm run jest` - Runs Jest over all tests in src directory
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ Titles and headings should adhere to the [Associated Press (AP)](https://www.aps
 
 ## Pull Request Checklist
 
-Prior to submitting a pull request back to the main repository, please make sure you have completed the following steps:
+Before submitting a pull request back to the main repository, please make sure you have completed the following steps:
 
 1. Pull request base branch is set to `master`. All pull requests should be forked from and merged back to `master`
 2. Run `npm test` to check the code adheres to the defined ESLint style and that it passes the Jest tests

README.md

@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ server.listen(3000);
 
 Contributions are welcome, and any help is greatly appreciated!
 
-See [CONTRIBUTING.md](./CONTRIBUTING.md) for details on how to get started.
+See [the contributing guide](./CONTRIBUTING.md) for details on how to get started.
 Please adhere to this project's [Code of Conduct](./CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md) when contributing.
 
 ## License