I’m borrowing my title from an article (paywalled) published on May 9 in the Chronicle of Higher Education under the same title. The article described the struggle of college professors with students not doing assigned readings, of reducing the number and length of readings without any improvement, and often summarizing readings in class. They noted declines in ability to follow a longform, complex argument, and fragmented and distracted thinking. This has been found to be accompanied by declines in writing ability (a 750 word essay being too long–ironic because this post will likely surpass that), and difficulties with notetaking if not structured by the professor.

The article explored various factors contributing to such decline:

• Inadequate reading instruction going back to primary education.
• Standardized test-oriented instruction, focused on close reading of short passages.
• COVID related declines due to relaxed requirements and isolation from good instruction (although these declines were being noted pre-COVID–and have only accelerated)
• Lack of leisure reading among teens.
• Smartphone use and social media, where reading comes in fragments and rapid scanning..
• Preference for information through audio-visual sources, often attended to while multi-tasking.

The upshot is either dumbed-down instruction or remedial efforts to teach reading, sometimes incorporated into instruction.

It is scary to think of the possibility that we are turning out functionally illiterate high school graduates and marginally literate college graduates without the habits equipping them to be lifelong learners. Yet it is disturbing to me that many state legislatures seem more concerned with what students should not be reading and what should not be on library shelves than the fact that students are not reading!

A few things seem vitally important:

• Reading skills seem foundational. The article raises the use of whole language approaches that fail to teach phonics (which was an important part of my reading instruction).
• Equally foundational is the association of reading with love. It can be the closeness of read aloud times with a parent or caregiver, sometimes learning the words of favorite stories. It is finding stories children love to read, sometimes with multiple readings.
• It’s talking about stories, fostering critical thinking skills. This can be fun and discussions may be memorable!
• It seems that learning how to read texts that are not “fun” is important. It’s more than just slogging through. It’s identifying what body of knowledge a text is addressing, what questions it is trying to answer, and then looking for how the writer unpacks those ideas.
• I’m also struck by the fact that audio-visual culture might be an ally rather than an enemy. Book-Tok has been hugely influential in driving the sale of Young Adult fiction (this might be a good reason to save Tik-Tok!). I’d love to see media influencers exploring how they might encourage college-level reading skills among their followers.

I do think about how smartphone usage affects all of this–even for me as an inveterate reader. Perhaps this ought be a part of whatever passes for health instruction these days because of the far-reaching effects smartphones have on physical, mental, and reading health. Perhaps apps need to carry addictiveness and anti-social behavior ratings.

A final word here from the perspective of faith. Every faith has its sacred texts. The Abrahamic faiths are “people of the book.” God communicated God’s self in words that were written down on tablets, scrolls, and codices. Universities as centers of literacy arose from cathedral schools. In my own experience, I learned more about the close reading of texts, that I applied to great advantage in research papers, through the Bible studies I attended and led and Bible study methods I learned. I became a better reader of all books by learning to read the Bible well, having learned skills I wasn’t taught in school. Sadly, I hear little in most faith communities about fostering any sort of literacy, biblical or otherwise. There is a rich heritage here and a contribution to be made to our wider society that is at the heart of our faith.

The decline in reading ability in our universities ought to ring alarm bells. It would suggest a decline in many other areas–imagination. empathy and reasoned thought among them. It suggests systemic issues requiring thoughtful, evidence-based action. And it ought challenge all of us who love books and reading to think about how we might share that love winsomely and joyfully.