In her memoir, Dorothy Allison emphasizes the importance of fully understanding stories as an act of love, a sentiment echoed by educators amidst rising literacy issues. The author notes a disturbing trend in students' reading scores, with 33% of eighth graders falling below basic levels, highlighting a decline in traditional reading practices. Despite distractions from digital media, the author advocates for schools to provide a sanctuary for physical books, asserting that reading is essential for cultivating comprehension, written expression, and a genuine literary voice among students.
In their more than eight hours of screen time a day, on average, students navigate a galaxy of mediated experiences; schools need to be a bastion of the analog experience of the physical book.
The test scores released at the end of last month reveal disturbing trend lines for the future of literacy in our country, with a record high of 33% of eighth graders scoring below basic on reading skills.
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