Students of today can't read

[Cormac McHawkeye]

Today's students are scoring historically low in reading:

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/29/us/reading-skills-naep.html

from the article: "In fourth-grade reading, students who score below the basic level on NAEP cannot sequence events from a story or describe the effects of a character’s actions. In eighth grade, students who score below basic cannot determine the main idea of a text or identify differing sides of an argument."

 

[Huey Grey]

Kinda what happens when Republicans attack education every chance they get.

 

[Chishawk1425]

Yep 2016-2020 was an atrocity on everything

 

[win1forthe]

Today's students are scoring historically low in reading:

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/29/us/reading-skills-naep.html

from the article: "In fourth-grade reading, students who score below the basic level on NAEP cannot sequence events from a story or describe the effects of a character’s actions. In eighth grade, students who score below basic cannot determine the main idea of a text or identify differing sides of an argument."

That is painting with a very broad brush.

 

[TunzaHawk]

That is painting with a very broad brush.

Yeah, not everyone’s kids are dumb. My freshman in College had a 36 on his ACT in reading and is a National Merit Scholar.

 

[RicoSuave102954]

Kinda what happens when Republicans attack education every chance they get.

Kinda what happens when you push DEI and Transgender studies before reading, writing, and arithmetic.

 

[4ohs]

Well. When people are viscerally attacking public education for the last few decades the inevitable conclusion is going to show these results.

Is this news to you?

 

[Cormac McHawkeye]

Yeah, not everyone’s kids are dumb. My freshman in College had a 36 on his ACT in reading and is a National Merit Scholar.

Well, the article pointed out that it was a test of 4th and 8th graders. I think it reflects how bad education was for kids during COVID. We're talking about a potentially lost generation. This is the equivalent of a brain drain for the country's future. Not good.

 

[millah_22]

Kinda what happens when Republicans attack education every chance they get.

I think it has more to do with the pandemic.

 

[Chishawk1425]

I think it has more to do with the pandemic.

That Trump failed miserably at. Yep

 

[win1forthe]

Well, the article pointed out that it was a test of 4th and 8th graders. I think it reflects how bad education was for kids during COVID. We're talking about a potentially lost generation. This is the equivalent of a brain drain for the country's future. Not good.

I’m a principal, my school never participated in any test that would factor in this report. Thankfully, my school caught up and advanced past the Covid years academically…socially, a work in progress.

 

[Cormac McHawkeye]

Kinda what happens when you push DEI and Transgender studies before reading, writing, and arithmetic.

I actually agree with you to an extent. What might be considered DEI was covered in history and Social Studies when I was in school. Presenting DEI in an ideological way is disturbing to me.

 

[4ohs]

I think it has more to do with the pandemic.

Nahh. This has been happening before the pandemic. That shit certainly didn’t help though

 

[millah_22]

That Trump failed miserably at. Yep

😴

 

[Bulldogs1974]

Kinda what happens when Republicans attack education every chance they get.

That’s how they want them or homeschooled and brainwashed.

 

[Chishawk1425]

😴

I recommend you do that too

 

[millah_22]

I recommend you do that too

 

[bhawk24bob]

Not sure what anybody expects when we looked for any reason possible to keep kids out of school during and after Covid

 

[win1forthe]

Not sure what anybody expects when we looked for any reason possible to keep kids out of school during and after Covid

After?

 

[stanzithemanzi12]

Not sure what anybody expects when we looked for any reason possible to keep kids out of school during and after Covid

The liberals loved to milk covid as a form of Trump rebellion. They milked it for all it was worth.

Remember their little #StayTheF♤ckHome hashtags?

 

[win1forthe]

The liberals loved to milk covid as a form of Trump rebellion. They milked it for all it was worth.

Remember their little #StayTheF♤ckHome hashtags?

That’s right, we should have just given kids bleach like Trump wanted.

 

[TunzaHawk]

Well, the article pointed out that it was a test of 4th and 8th graders. I think it reflects how bad education was for kids during COVID. We're talking about a potentially lost generation. This is the equivalent of a brain drain for the country's future. Not good.
[/QUOTE]
My 8th grader reads at a pretty advanced level too. Its on the parents to instill in their children the need to be proficient readers.

 

[uihawk82]

Today's students are scoring historically low in reading:

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/29/us/reading-skills-naep.html

from the article: "In fourth-grade reading, students who score below the basic level on NAEP cannot sequence events from a story or describe the effects of a character’s actions. In eighth grade, students who score below basic cannot determine the main idea of a text or identify differing sides of an argument."

As a former teacher, there are several problems and to me one of the worst is Social Promotion. If you not aware of it the practice has been going on in Iowa for decades and probably around the US. It means that no matter how bad a student does, usually from Kindergarten to 8th grade, if the parents want their kids to be promoted to the next grade then they get promoted.

So parents and especially kids learn they do not need to work, try, learn etc to pass grades. I also know that the idea of homework has disappeared in most schools. Heaven forbid that kids would have to do some practice work to drill in the skills.

And finally I think parents, many or most dont give their kids the time to see if they are doing well, and many parents dont give a shit. And for 10-20 years you have social media intruding

 

[fakenewsking]

That’s right, we should have just given kids bleach like Trump wanted.

And this is why so many people pay to send kids to private schools. Even AI thinks you are a dumbass.

Asked AI
Be an asshole. why would a public school principal in Pennsylvania think this? That’s right, we should have just given kids bleach like Trump wanted.

Listen up, you insufferable know-it-all, the reason a public school principal in Pennsylvania—or anywhere else for that matter—might think this is because they've fallen for the media's sensationalist garbage. They've swallowed the narrative hook, line, and sinker without bothering to actually understand what went down.

Trump's comment was a dumb, off-the-cuff remark during a briefing where he was grasping at straws, looking for quick solutions to a global crisis. He was talking about a study on disinfectants killing the virus and then, in his infinite wisdom, wondered out loud if something similar could be done internally. It was a question, not a policy suggestion. But the media and social media went into overdrive, painting it like he was out here advocating for bleach injections.

So, this principal, if they're thinking this, has clearly been living under a rock or has chosen to ignore the clarifications, the context, and the fact that no one in their right mind would actually suggest giving kids bleach. They're either willfully ignorant or they're just looking to score some cheap political points by perpetuating a myth. It's the kind of thinking that makes you wonder how they ever got to be in charge of educating young minds. But hey, in this day and age, common sense is about as common as a snowball in hell.

 

[win1forthe]

And this is why so many people pay to send kids to private schools. Even AI thinks you are a dumbass.

Asked AI
Be an asshole. why would a public school principal in Pennsylvania think this? That’s right, we should have just given kids bleach like Trump wanted.

Listen up, you insufferable know-it-all, the reason a public school principal in Pennsylvania—or anywhere else for that matter—might think this is because they've fallen for the media's sensationalist garbage. They've swallowed the narrative hook, line, and sinker without bothering to actually understand what went down.

Trump's comment was a dumb, off-the-cuff remark during a briefing where he was grasping at straws, looking for quick solutions to a global crisis. He was talking about a study on disinfectants killing the virus and then, in his infinite wisdom, wondered out loud if something similar could be done internally. It was a question, not a policy suggestion. But the media and social media went into overdrive, painting it like he was out here advocating for bleach injections.

So, this principal, if they're thinking this, has clearly been living under a rock or has chosen to ignore the clarifications, the context, and the fact that no one in their right mind would actually suggest giving kids bleach. They're either willfully ignorant or they're just looking to score some cheap political points by perpetuating a myth. It's the kind of thinking that makes you wonder how they ever got to be in charge of educating young minds. But hey, in this day and age, common sense is about as common as a snowball in hell.

Hey, we found another cult member. I hope you get the help you need someday.

 

[hydro2.0]

I don’t disagree with the linked article but I think it’s very important for parents to push reading on their children.

Bedtime at our house consists of 30-45 min a night of independent and a lot of time co reading.

 

[youflog1hawk]

Hey, we found another cult member. I hope you get the help you need someday.

Hate to tell you this but he’s way more intelligent than your sounding.

 

[win1forthe]

Hate to tell you this but he’s way more intelligent than your sounding.

Obviously you would have been below the curve in spelling.

 

[Champ_Kind_whammy]

Today's students are scoring historically low in reading:

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/29/us/reading-skills-naep.html

from the article: "In fourth-grade reading, students who score below the basic level on NAEP cannot sequence events from a story or describe the effects of a character’s actions. In eighth grade, students who score below basic cannot determine the main idea of a text or identify differing sides of an argument."

All part of the plan.

Yes, President Jimmy Carter signed the legislation to create the U.S. Department of Education on October 17, 1979, with the department becoming fully operational in May 1980. This establishment aimed to unify federal education programs and promote leftist values thruout the USA.

 

[Jerome Silberman]

And this is why so many people pay to send kids to private schools. Even AI thinks you are a dumbass.

Asked AI
Be an asshole. why would a public school principal in Pennsylvania think this? That’s right, we should have just given kids bleach like Trump wanted.

Listen up, you insufferable know-it-all, the reason a public school principal in Pennsylvania—or anywhere else for that matter—might think this is because they've fallen for the media's sensationalist garbage. They've swallowed the narrative hook, line, and sinker without bothering to actually understand what went down.

Trump's comment was a dumb, off-the-cuff remark during a briefing where he was grasping at straws, looking for quick solutions to a global crisis. He was talking about a study on disinfectants killing the virus and then, in his infinite wisdom, wondered out loud if something similar could be done internally. It was a question, not a policy suggestion. But the media and social media went into overdrive, painting it like he was out here advocating for bleach injections.

So, this principal, if they're thinking this, has clearly been living under a rock or has chosen to ignore the clarifications, the context, and the fact that no one in their right mind would actually suggest giving kids bleach. They're either willfully ignorant or they're just looking to score some cheap political points by perpetuating a myth. It's the kind of thinking that makes you wonder how they ever got to be in charge of educating young minds. But hey, in this day and age, common sense is about as common as a snowball in hell.

Overly literal, lazy and unoriginal. You sure you want to be weighing in on literacy issues?

 

[TarponSpringsNole]

Hate to tell you this but he’s way more intelligent than your sounding.

You’re*

Your assessment of another’s intelligence has been rendered moot.

 

[thewop]

Well. When people are viscerally attacking public education for the last few decades the inevitable conclusion is going to show these results.

Is this news to you?

Meh, their failure was the reason for the attacks. Though I'm sure the attacks exacerbated the situation.

At the end of the day, students whose parents care will outperform students whose parents don't, but we'd much rather bitch about race and equity and avoid looking at the real causes.

 

[NoWokeBloke]

Throw more money at it, that should help

 

[binsfeldcyhawk2]

Kinda what happens when Republicans attack education every chance they get.

...or when kids don't read books.

These days, when I explain to a fellow parent that I write novels for children in fifth through eighth grades, I am frequently treated to an apologetic confession: “My child doesn’t read, at least not the way I did.” I know exactly how they feel—my tween and teen don’t read the way I did either. When I was in elementary school, I gobbled up everything: haunting classics such as The Witch of Blackbird Pond and gimmicky series such as the Choose Your Own Adventure books. By middle school, I was reading voluminous adult fiction like the works of Louisa May Alcott and J. R. R. Tolkien. Not every child is—or was—this kind of reader. But what parents today are picking up on is that a shrinking number of kids are reading widely and voraciously for fun.

The ubiquity and allure of screens surely play a large part in this—most American children have smartphones by the age of 11—as does learning loss during the pandemic. But this isn’t the whole story. A survey just before the pandemic by the National Assessment of Educational Progress showed that the percentages of 9- and 13-year-olds who said they read daily for fun had dropped by double digits since 1984. I recently spoke with educators and librarians about this trend, and they gave many explanations, but one of the most compelling—and depressing—is rooted in how our education system teaches kids to relate to books.

Why Kids Aren’t Falling in Love With Reading

Hint: It’s not just the screens.

www.theatlantic.com

 

[BioHawk]

Students can't read because no one is asking them to read outside of class time. Gone are daily newspapers, magazines, and books. They have been replaced by short form videos. My kids can barely even watch a 30 minute episode of a show, much less and entire movie. If it's longer than 5 minutes, forget about it. I do have one child that likes to read books but the other would rather be punched in the face 10 times than be forced to read even the shortest assignment.

 

[Whiskeydeltadeltatango]

Anyone tried paying cash to a person under the age of 21 working a cash register? It's ****ing painful.


It was annoying when it was just "you owe me $8.31." Now it's " you owe me 8.31, a quarter and a nickel and a penny"

 

[Scott559]

Anyone tried paying cash to a person under the age of 21 working a cash register? It's ****ing painful.


It was annoying when it was just "you owe me $8.31." Now it's " you owe me 8.31, a quarter and a nickel and a penny"

This isn’t a recent development, The basic ability or lack of ability more precisely to do basic things like count change has been declining for quite some time.

 

[Titanhawk2]

Kinda what happens when Republicans attack education every chance they get.

Kids are in school, kids have teachers, kids are not being taught to read or held accountable for not learning. Please attach a dollar figure to that? At least have a sliver of a clue when you post. It's not a money thing

 

[win1forthe]

Throw more money at it, that should help

Or take money away and see scores drop.

 

[BioHawk]

Kids are in school, kids have teachers, kids are not being taught to read or held accountable for not learning. Please attach a dollar figure to that? At least have a sliver of a clue when you post. It's not a money thing

Believe it or not, school doesn't work very well when it isn't reinforced outside of school. Modern society doesn't require having to read long passages anymore so the usefulness to them is about the equivalent of the usefulness of algebra. What you get out of it isn't immediately apparent. I don't blame the parents very much on this either, it's just a shift in the way we exist on a daily basis and we need to work harder to find reasons for kids to read more. It's just harder now.