21 thoughts on “Are We Failing Students by Not Turning Them into Readers?”

  1. The state of reading really is sad ! I’m not a teacher but my friend teaches science at a charter school and most of her students read below their grade level. Plus it’s majority Latino immigrants so English is a challenge and it’s a challenge for their parents as well. It’s a tough situation !

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    1. And there are ways to get around that, too! There are so many ways to make sure that people who struggle catch up, but we aren’t employing them. Too often we stick with majority rules. So the ones at the top and bottom are ignored as long as the majority of the class are testing at a certain level.
      I hope it changes. We will keep doing what we can to make it happen!

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  3. Kids need to read more and teachers need to encourage them. I know how hard that can be though – there’s like 30 children in a classroom and 1 teacher. How on earth can a teacher focus on each child 24/7? There needs to be change at the government level – starting with smaller classrooms, more funding, bigger libraries, less focus on sports as the be all and end all, and more focus on the benefits of English as a subject.

    I’m from Australia so our educational system is different, but my English score for the final exams was the highest in my entire year level – it was 3 points away from 100% and actually boosted up my marks for other subjects. It it weren’t for English – and my love of reading – my final mark (which gets you into university) would have been lower and I might not have even been able to go to the uni I am currently at. The whole reason I did so well is because I was (am) a proficient reader. More people need to see the benefits of reading, too.

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    1. Wonderfully said! I’m glad you are such a proficient reader…we need more of those!
      It IS incredibly hard bc you have a classroom full of kids, all at diff levels…the classrooms are getting bigger and the resources are getting smaller. “Standardization” kills creativity. We test and we test and we test. Sports do play a pivotal role: more than necessary. I’m thinking other countries are doing it right, especially compared to our scores across the world, and the reading proficiency levels.
      It is a travesty. Many young and new teachers are so passionate and it gets beat out of them.
      My biggest goal? To find a book every student will enjoy so that it hooks them on reading. Too many grow up without that love and I think life is less fulfilling without a love of reading!

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      1. Oh yes standardisation is killing creativity. Finland is one of the best countries in regards to education atm. They’re doing really well and they’ve cut out homework! Oh and yes, sometimes all it takes is that one book and a kid is hooked on reading! 😀

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    2. We already spend more per capita than almost every civilized nation with little to show for it. The problem isn’t the AMOUNT of money, it is how it is SPENT. We waste too much on red-tape and bureaucratic nonsense, none of which effects the student in the classroom. And I’ve teachers throughout my family, so it isn’t that I’m just blaming the teachers for the failings of our culture/society/schools.

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      1. I think you’d be surprised at how much I agree with you. You are my friend on FB, and though I don’t usually post many political opinions, I think you and I might agree with more than I say here. 😉

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      2. Look, I already offered to make you my second wife! 😛 Are you looking for extra credit? LOL!! For the record, I try REALLY hard to keep my political opinions to myself. I want people across the spectrum to enjoy my books so there is no need for artificial impediments to that.

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      3. I totally get that. I’m afraid of the backlash I would get across all platforms.
        And yes, I appreciate being second wife…but I don’t share my toys or play well with others! 😂🤣😂
        😏😘

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