The article discusses the troubling decline in reasoning and literacy skills among Americans, particularly youth. Recent assessments indicate that a significant percentage of fourth and eighth graders are underperforming in reading, scoring the lowest levels in decades. Notably, the drop is not uniform; while top students maintain their scores, the lowest students face dramatic declines. Andreas Schleicher of the O.E.C.D. underscores that 30% of Americans read at a child's level, which undermines their decision-making capabilities in a complex world. The article highlights a widening achievement gap tied to these literacy decreases.
Thirty percent of Americans read at a level that you would expect from a 10-year-old child. It is hard to imagine that every third person you meet has reading difficulties.
If you haven't read hundreds of books, you are functionally illiterate, and you will be incompetent, because your personal experiences alone aren't broad enough.
Among fourth and eighth graders, the declines in reading skills are not uniform; it’s the lowest-performing students whose scores are collapsing, widening the achievement gap.
The percentage of fourth graders below basic reading skills is the highest in 20 years; eighth graders’ scores are the lowest in the exam's 30-year history.
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