First, let me start off by saying, I love to write. Without the ability I have, I would not be the person I am today, and that is a scary thought to think about, because creativity for me has always come through different forms of literature. That said, I am fully invested in the art of a pen and pad (or fingers and a keyboard). Despite my love for the art, one problem has been poignant in my life. They say, “a good writer is also a good reader”, and unfortunately, while this is the case for me now, it definitely wasn’t when I was younger. In fact, prior to sophomore year of college, I can count how books I actually finished (without being required to) compared to how many I’ve read and just stopped, and especially how many books I didn’t even bother to pick up.
I don’t know why, but I would rarely read a book, and too often just didn’t want to be bothered. Even when I did start reading a book like 1984, I would lose interest halfway and just stop reading all together. I remember buying Notes of a Native Son back in 2017, and not finishing it until 2020, almost three years later, and that was only because I felt a new-found urge to finish a book I’d started, and I chose that one. It took a book that I really found interesting, usually young adult stories like The Hate You Give and the Percy Jackson series to fully grasp my attention, but that shouldn’t be the case with one genre of books. In fact, there are plenty of other fiction and non-fiction books that I should have been invested in, allowing me to strengthen my reading skills, which I could transfer into writing.
Sadly, I’m not the only one, not in my generation. I knew that when I did some research and found some troubling facts: The World Atlas finds America at 86%, far below countries like Finland, Andorra, Canada, and Luxembourg. Here’s some reasons why: reading for pleasure has taken a downward spiral amongst youth since 1976. The Conversation reported that by 2016, the average high school senior spent up to 6 hours a day on their phone, whether on social media, texting, or watching YouTube videos when they could be reading, especially when you consider services like Audible and Amazon Kindle. The lack of promotion for books in favor of other media brings a lack of interest in the subject all together, which leads to the downward spiral in literary experts.
While this is already a massive problem for students, it’s made even worse that many adults are no better. CNBC states that 24% of American adults don’t read at all, bringing a rift between them and the 76% who do read, and an even bigger rift among the over 30 million Americans who don’t even know how to read, according to National Center for Education Statistics. The concern here is that without an adult to enforce or promote reading to their children, they are contributing to a dangerous cycle of illiteracy.
The reason this cycle is so concerning is because of the importance of being literate. Jen Christensen of CNN has noted that reading skills are among the most crucial tools to have in one’s life. She writes, “Reading can help you safely test how you feel about certain issues or people, without your having to experience something directly.” By consistently reading books such as The Autobiography of Malcom X or Why We’re Polarized, you get a good idea of American issues and a better opinion on what can be done, which is much more effective than simply listening to what others say and bouncing your opinion off of them.
In this instance, you’re not truly acting on your own intelligence or ideals, but rather losing your voice amongst a herd. You can’t challenge a social problem you don’t fully understand. Believe me, I was no better, and I’m still learning to read before I speak. Now, regardless of whether I’m the right spokesman or not, the answer is clear. In order to maintain a healthy conversation, and strengthen your critical and rational thinking skills, you must pick up a book and read it. And finish. It. Please.
Moving on, what are some of the sources of this illiteracy epidemic? One of many can be seen in social classes. The gap between the lower and upper class comes in more forms than one would think, and unfortunately, reading is one of them. CNBC has found that those with a household income of $30,000 are “twice as likely to be non-book readers” than those who make more. The national literacy non-profit, Reading Partners announced that more than 8.7 million low-income children from kindergarten to fifth grade are not proficient in reading. These statistics will bring a harrowing domino effect, which is proof in other statistics.
Obviously, if a student struggles in reading, they will struggle in school, which hinders their chances at graduation. Without the credentials, a student’s chances at a more prosperous future are incredibly slim, if almost shut out entirely, contributing to the domino effect through new generations.
While companies like Penguin Random House donate books often to misrepresented communities, there is still a harsh gap in literacy when it comes to income classes. When it comes to reasons why, there are many. Low-income Americans have less resources and accessibility to books, such as smartphones or laptops, compared to higher income citizens. A point validated by PEW Research analyst, Andrew Perrin.
Then, there is less education. Those who fall at or under the poverty line often did not get as far as high school, which hinders their literacy skills. Many do not master or even learn to read. Granted, this does not mean all low-income Americans have this problem. Far from it. Still, it must be said that one who has a higher-education, greater income, and more accessibility is much more likely to be a reader than someone with none of those things.
Without understanding and really learning literacy, one will find difficulty in handling everyday activities that require such an ability, let alone a job. The more people in low income are unable to read, the greater the wealth gap grows.
As if the income classes were not enough of a reason, a lack of reading can be partly traced to the lack of proper teaching. As previously mentioned, parents may struggle to read, if able to read at all, which brings less importance for the student to read, especially if they come from a lower-income household, where reading is a problem. Now if these same students go to school and their teacher is unable to bring a new interest or proper study of the book assigned, then it is guaranteed the student will not read it.
The problem with the American Education system is an essay in and of itself, but what can be cut down and analyzed is the detrimental ripple effect it has by simply existing and not truly evolving. YouTube Channel, Next School, created called “6 Problems with Our School System”, and in it, it’s noted that schools are still living in the industrial age where students are only taught to be obedient rather than a leader. The Federation of Economic Education seconds this, dating back to 1905, when business leaders and educators strived to mold schooling into a “‘factory-floor’ model”, and the legacy of this reflects in today’s instructions.
Next School’s video points out that the working world is now geared more towards creativity, leadership and proactivity, essentially being someone who can think outside the box. In school, the 20th century lifestyle is what’s being enforced more. Students are expected to think only when the teacher initiates it and not from the start. They are given tests and questions they may not even understand yet, but still have to do. This can severely damage they’re interest in reading especially complex material, because without a proper chance at being creative and learning on less-controlling terms, students might see the class as boring or unmotivating and will not even remember the things they learned afterwards, and to an extent, dampen their interest and ability to read more often.
Going further in this subject, let’s discuss the outdated methods that might be involved in students not reading. The motivation-killing, industrial age style can be blamed on the Common Core curriculum, developed in 2009 to enforce the subject material students were expected to know. The problem is its lack of efficiency. Author Thomas Armstrong described Common Core as a “one-size-fits-all” method and insisted that teaching must be diverse because not every student learns the same way.
President of the National Association of Scholars, Peter W. Wood, had more to say about the Common Core. In his own words, “the Common Core standards are finely detailed, grade-by-grade specifications for what should be taught, how it should be taught and when it should be taught.’’ When transferred into the classroom, there is no room for individuality in the classroom. Students are meant to merely follow orders and that’s all. Once they do that, what’s left?
There is more to education than just being submissive. There must be a sense of control within the students as well if they are expected to learn basic to advanced subjects, and more importantly, stay motivated to continue learning. Going away from school and reading for a second, it is for these reasons that the effects of self-learning are worth examining. To emphasize this point, the National Center for Biotechnology Information released a study on self-learning and its effects on one's metacognition (the mental process of learning and understanding something).
What was found in their experiments was both results indicated stronger performance than controlled learning. Interestingly, the results did not come from a difference in motivation, as neither side truly located the easy or difficult parts of the subject matter. This also revealed no significant difference in how they regulated their studying. The results gave way, leading up from these points to the idea of metacognitive learning. Psychologist John Flavell suggests that metacognitive learning can help children and adults to make “wise and thoughtful life decisions as well as to comprehend and learn better in formal educational settings.” For those struggling to balance their time and energy to self-pace themselves, experience in metacognitive learning can help boost this ability.
That being said, and while this statement is by no means new, the clear key to helping students learn better is by first examining and then strengthening their metacognitive learning style. Look at how they process and analyze the given material and see how they can improve their self-learning methods to increase performance. Then give them freer rein in the classroom; Opening up more discussion groups, asking their opinions, providing less lectures and ensuring everyone is able to read and understand the material clearly.
Allow them to pace themselves for a time while monitoring and aiding their chosen reading strategies. This in turn will not only boost the student’s ability to learn faster, but also boost their confidence in studying the material and trusting their own judgment and abilities. This dives back into reading, because reviewing and annotating books and articles requires sufficient strategies and detailed processing. Simply reading the material and giving students questions is not enough. By pinpointing their individual learning style, raising their confidence in reading, students can apply it to their everyday lives, and feel more inclined to continue reading literature.
The reading results for students discussed a mentioned factor must be further analyzed: Their parents may not be readers themselves. As brought up earlier, a stunning 32 million adults do not know how to read, leaving them at a severe disadvantage compared to those who can. This number includes incarcerated people who, a whopping one out of five, are illiterate. Since the reasons given for children, (lack of resources, proper teaching, or generational illiteracy) can very much apply to adults, how is it that we can bring adults to literacy as well?
`For starters, if there are any adults you know who don’t read, they must take the time to try it. Remind them that literacy involves a lot more than books and that reading means solving basic problems, applying for jobs, selecting meals from a menu, and many more. Books alone teach everything, from learning how to cook to practicing other languages. They’re good for us mentally, emotionally, and spiritually, so they should at least make time for reading.
Then there’s the people you don’t know who are struggling with the matter. Luckily, there’s volunteer opportunities and organizations trying to help. Take Proliteracy. They’re dedicated to helping adults improve through their educational programs. Their Expanding Access to Adult Literacy initiative partners with and provides training and technical assistance to help social service agencies assess the needs of their clients and the capacity of the organization. This is done to reach as many adults as possible with basic literacy, English language literacy, and High School equivalency degrees.
You can volunteer with them and give someone the education they need or spread the word of them to those who require their aid. One thing is for sure though, when assisting someone with reading, it will be no different with adults than with kids. Everyone has their own pace, process, and level of difficulty. We must advocate the importance of empathy, patience, and willingness to assist someone who, if put on the right path, could better themselves and their community more than they ever imagined.
There’s no excuse for one of the most powerful countries in the world to be falling behind in such a crucial subject, especially when it's costing us dearly. Last year, Forbes found that illiteracy in America was costing the country 2.2 trillion dollars, just for adults alone. Money that could be going into improving neighborhoods and lessening homelessness. If they and our children are not assisted, we will face even harsher consequences, guaranteed.
Still, the findings and the research I’ve found have given me hope for a country with more readers. Of course, there is still plenty more to be done, and change will not come tomorrow, but if we start now, then there will be improvement later, and we can start by giving each other a book and helping them not only read, but think for themselves about what exactly they are reading. This applies to everyone, including myself. In fact, I think I’ll finish the books I am reading right now.