A fond memory from a book lover
One day, when I was a teen, my mom offered to buy me a new gaming console. I don’t remember if it was for my birthday or some other holiday, but I remember thinking of how expensive the console would be and telling myself that I needed to carefully consider my decision. I asked my mom if I could take a few days to decide if a gaming console was what I really wanted. During that time, one image came to mind whenever I pondered what I wanted to spend that kind of money on. It was an image of a beautiful set of classic literature. I’m sure you’ve seen them in a book store or in your uncle’s library. The hardbound ones with fancy gold embossing that seem to pay respect to the knowledge preserved within their pages. I confidently informed my mom of my decision. I would prefer to spend the money she intended to spend on the console on books instead. She agreed and she bought me a collection of classics.
That is one of my fondest memories because it didn’t end when my mom purchased the books. I spent hours and days, years even, with those books. They allowed me to connect with the wisdom of the great thinkers of the past. They shaped my relationship with learning and academics. And, honestly, many of them were simply fun to read!
I told this story to give you a little more insight into why I was so disturbed about a recent trend in childhood and adult literacy.
Disturbing literacy statistics
As an educator, I try to stay informed about trends in education. Recently, more students are struggling with reading comprehension, interpreting lengthier texts, completing entire books, and retaining what they read. Here are a few facts related to these issues.
From the Reading is Fundamental website (rif.org):
- 65 percent of fourth graders read at or below the basic level.
- During the summer months, all children are at risk of losing some of the learning obtained during the school year.
- Students who lose reading ability over the summer rarely catch up.
- Studies show that if a child grows up in a home with 100+ books, they have a 90% probability of graduating 9th grade, compared to 30% in bookless homes.
From The National Literacy Institute (thenationalliteracyinstitute.com):
- Over half of American adults (54%) read below a 6th grade reading level.
- The US ranks 36th in literacy.
- 44% of American adults do not even read one book per year.
From the Florida Literacy Coalition (floridaliteracy.org):
- Literacy and numeracy skills in Florida rank below the national average.
- About 1 in 4 adult Floridians are at or below Level 1 of literacy.
From the NCES (NCES.ed.gov)
- The percentage of US adults who scored at the lowest levels of literacy increased from 19% in 2017 to 28% in 2024.
Why it matters
You may have read the article by The Atlantic, “The Elite College Students Who Can’t Read Books.” It contains several anecdotal stories from college professors at leading universities who expressed the challenges they’re facing with trying to teach students who can’t handle the assigned reading list. You’ll hear similar complaints from teachers on any social media platform. Clearly, the issue has far-reaching academic implications.
I’d like to add another perspective to the conversation. I believe reading for enjoyment and personal enrichment is just as important as reading to achieve academic goals. Here are a few statistics about how reading can improve the quality of life.
- Reading for just six minutes can reduce stress levels by 68%.
- Reading can increase empathy and emotional intelligence.
- Reading can improve sleep quality.
- Reading can increase vocabulary and improve writing skills.
- Reading can improve mental focus and concentration.
- Reading can reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
What can be done about it?
I’ve thought long and hard about this question. I’ve reviewed some of the methods teachers have already used to try to address the issue. Some middle and high school teachers have expressed that they are discouraged from assigning entire books to their students. They are told to stick to short passages because those are the kinds of texts that appear on standardized tests. Even when they do assign reading lists, students often use shortcuts or AI summaries to get around actually reading the books. At this point, I’m convinced that this issue needs to be tackled (at least partially) outside of the classroom. Students should be encouraged to read at home. They should be introduced to various kinds of books until they find one they can’t put down. Parents can help by leading by example and by giving books as gifts to their children.
Starting in the summer of 2025, we’ll be offering two Saturday Book Clubs for middle school students and high school students. They will also be offered several times throughout the school year. The goal of these affordable clubs is to encourage kids to read outside of the classroom and to help them engage in enjoyable discussions about literature.
I hope this blog post encourages you to add a few more books to your life, or inspires you to share the joy of reading with anyone and everyone you meet!
Happy Reading!
Additional Sources:
- “The elite college students who can’t read books.” (Source: The Elite College Students Who Can’t Read Books)
- “High school students think they’re ready for college. But they aren’t.” (Source: High School Students Think They Are Ready for College. But They Aren’t)
- “Reading for just six minutes can reduce stress levels by 68%.” (Source: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0272735812000595)
- “Children who are read to at home have a higher success rate in school.” (Source: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/264013913_The_Importance_of_Reading_to_Children)
- “Reading can improve sleep quality.” (Source: https://www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/can-cuddling-book-help-you-sleep-better)
- “Reading can increase vocabulary and improve writing skills.” (Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3868356/)