For Gen Alpha, learning to read is a privilege, not a right

[Anonymous]

https://www.businessinsider.com/gen-alpha-reading-literacy-crisis-privilege-society-divide-2024-12

It's not the pandemic (although that didn't help). It's screens, tablets and phones. Gen Alpha is not learning to read, and the ones who are good readers still are not very good readers and shy away from longer or complex texts.

[Anonymous]

No longer confined to printed page, in the modern era where more complex ideas can be explored through interactive multimedia.

[Anonymous]

It's a mess. That "Sold a Story" podcast was super interesting. However, it didn't address phones and the reluctance of Gen Z/young millennial parents to DO much with their kids.

[Anonymous]

Never have I been so glad to be the "weird" parent that allows almost zero screen time. My second grader loves to read, begs to go to the library, and reads increasingly complex books. I hear the other parents in my neighborhood fret over their kids' lack of reading skills.

[Anonymous]

Just because you're reading it on Business Insider, you think it's true?

Dear Lord. We have screens at home and my kids are still bookworms.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's a mess. That "Sold a Story" podcast was super interesting. However, it didn't address phones and the reluctance of Gen Z/young millennial parents to DO much with their kids.

What do the teachers DO all day with the kids? They are there 6-7 hours and can't read? Come on. If I'm supposed to do all the teaching then give up on the idea of public schools.

[Anonymous]

It really does have to do with whether a child was taught phonics systematically or not. I have 4 children and all but one were given phonics instruction. The other, poor child, was not and still struggles to decode text and spell properly

[Anonymous]

Former Elementary School Librarian here. The easiest thing any parent can do for their child is to simply read bedtime stories. Honestly. Start early and nurture a love to hear stories. Eventually, they will want to read on their own.
Parents who send their children to school and who do not promote education or reading at home will get what they get.
Reading a few short picture books at the end of the day is a simple way to bond with your child.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Former Elementary School Librarian here. The easiest thing any parent can do for their child is to simply read bedtime stories. Honestly. Start early and nurture a love to hear stories. Eventually, they will want to read on their own.
Parents who send their children to school and who do not promote education or reading at home will get what they get.
Reading a few short picture books at the end of the day is a simple way to bond with your child.

Agree with the school librarian in theory, but I will also add that I didn't read "a lot" to my kids when they were little - we mostly read during school breaks, when I would dig out my childhood favorites and read them dramatically, doing all the voices and everything. What they saw every day was how much *I* loved reading, because I was often buried in a book, and I often talked about what I was reading - so they grew up thinking this was normal. Real paper books, not anything on a screen (which can be interpreted differently by kids).

[Anonymous]

I don't think these are mutually exclusive. My third grader gets a generous amount of screen time but is also reading books aimed at late elementary. I've always prioritized library storytimes when younger and we continue to check out many books.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Never have I been so glad to be the "weird" parent that allows almost zero screen time. My second grader loves to read, begs to go to the library, and reads increasingly complex books. I hear the other parents in my neighborhood fret over their kids' lack of reading skills.

We do the same. Almost zero screens. Very strong reader who reads for fun.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Never have I been so glad to be the "weird" parent that allows almost zero screen time. My second grader loves to read, begs to go to the library, and reads increasingly complex books. I hear the other parents in my neighborhood fret over their kids' lack of reading skills.

Wish to God we had taken your “weird” approach.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just because you're reading it on Business Insider, you think it's true?

Dear Lord. We have screens at home and my kids are still bookworms.

OP is just another RWNJ/school choice a$$wipe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It really does have to do with whether a child was taught phonics systematically or not. I have 4 children and all but one were given phonics instruction. The other, poor child, was not and still struggles to decode text and spell properly

The Reading Wars have been going on for decades, swinging back and forth between phonics and whole language (or similar) approaches. This is probably because the answer lies somewhere in the middle. Phonics is a piece of the puzzle, but systematic phonics instruction alone might get you 90% of the way to decoding (because English isn't phonetically regular), but decoding is only a part of reading. Give it a few years, and you'll hear people complaining about how their phonics-instructed kids have no fluency or comprehension, and the pendulum will start swinging back again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:https://www.businessinsider.com/gen-alpha-reading-literacy-crisis-privilege-society-divide-2024-12

It's not the pandemic (although that didn't help). It's screens, tablets and phones. Gen Alpha is not learning to read, and the ones who are good readers still are not very good readers and shy away from longer or complex texts.

That’s not what the article concludes—it was mostly about the way to teach reading and the fact that we need to have evidence-based teaching methods (i.e. phonics).

I’m glad I sent my DD to a preschool that actually taught phonics. She is a voracious reader of physical books in upper elementary. And yes, she gets screen time.