I have a deep hatred of people that actively contribute to the literacy crisis. I'm 13 so I'm going into Year 9 in September and I can't stand it when we do a guided reading lesson and the people that volunteer to read don't have the reading age of 12-13 or above. It is not difficult, the reading material isn't above the year you're in so why are you struggling to pronounce the words on the page. It is genuinely pathetic how nowadays the kids in my class can't pick up a book to save their lives, "B-b-but I c-can't read a whole book !!" are you serious you can't read ONE book cover to cover, so you're telling me you've never in your entire life finished a book. I'm not expecting you to read Shakespeare or something with 600+ pages but any book that isn't a picture book. "B-b-but I'm dyslexic !!" ok then this Blog isn't for you.
I don't know why it is so normalised for kids my age to just not be able to read at their expected reading age. I had a girl ask me how I was able to finish a medium sized book in two weeks or less, now to me that's just my standard reading pace, but then she tells me it takes her 6 months to finish a book. How busy do you have to be that it takes you 6 whole months to finish a SINGLE book not even a series of books but just ONE. Another time in guided reading, a boy volunteered to read again and the sentence he read was "He shed a tear," but he pronounced "tear" as in "Just tear a piece of paper," he said it confidently as well.
It just annoys me when they realise they aren't at the expected reading level but they just treat it like a cute and quirky personality trait instead of a important disadvantage that actually affects them in the long run. They act like it is something that can't be fixed instead of something that they CAN fix if they just pick up a book. "T-t-they're expensive !!" the local library is free and schools also have a free library open every Monday-Friday.
It gives the same impression as people who say they don't like reading or say reading is boring, if you say reading is boring you haven't matured yet because that is one of the most childish things I've ever heard. First of all, we are constantly reading all the time even if you don't realise it you read texts, subtitles, listings, blogs, prices at the shops, the letters/numbers of your keyboard literally everything. Second of all, it is a life skill like math, we all hate math but it is absolutely crucial in our lives just like our reading and literacy skills.
Another important thing is how often they confuse their words such as, you're and your or their and there. It's the same with words that have a different spelling based on the gender, like how "blonde," is spelled with an "e," at the end if it's about a woman, "blond," is spelled without the "e," if it's about a guy. It is taught to us in reception so why are we regressing ??
In conclusion, the literacy crisis will be this generations downfall, you should not be able to impress adults with the bare minimum that is expected for your age because the bar has been set so low by the general standard of kids . You should as be making sense in your writing as well, you should be able to write something straight forward not something that has to be deciphered like hieroglyphics to understand of course your literacy skills, aka SPAG (spelling, punctuation, and grammar), are important but it also needs to make sense, nobody should have to guess at what you are trying to say.
Comments and kudos are appreciated !! I hope you enjoyed my essay on the literacy crisis in schools, if there are other topics you would like me to discuss I would be happy to hear your ideas !!
Signing off, Ilinca
Comments
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unicornbabe
Hello Ilinca (awesome name)! I understand your post and I understand the frustration, because i have - and do currently share the same frustrations. I graduated this year and I'm also in a different country, but the issue remains. I can't speak for how it may be in the uk, but I remember throughout all my years I kept getting frustrated with the people around me and their lack of care and effort in the subject, which was mainly out of concern for the future. I also struggled in school, but I never once complained about having to read a single paragraph because it was too much of a hassle.
My frustration lies less with the students now, and more with the education system and parents at home. I love your passion in the subject! It really gives me hope.
valkdonut
although, as well as a high schooler, seeing peers our age struggle with reading and everything else within the range of English is frustrating, it's important to realize that people have different abilities, strengths, and issues.
The school system does though partake in the reason why reading and comprehension skills have worsened throughout the years. The make of technology and social media definitely have been a great contributor to the worsening of it.
I struggled in English around the 7th grade due to mental health issues and more, what I'm saying is, you can't put everyone into a marginalized group and try to act all "high and mighty". The tone of your blog seems as if you don't struggle and they're all inferior to you which cannot possibly be true since everyone struggles at something.
Just be careful of your tone and maybe instead of being mean about it you can help by offering tutoring or just being supportive of your peers.
First off, don't make assumptions that I didn't struggle, I struggled a lot mentally especially in Year 7 and I still do today. I also put in my first paragraph that if you have learning disabilities or other issues that this blog does not apply to you, so before you form an opinion actually read my blog.
It is not my responsibility to help my peers, after all we are in a school where if a 13 year old can clearly see someone needs help the teachers should've been involved way before that point. Nobody can expect me to dedicate the time I have to people that wouldn't appreciate it and libraries are open they can easily just check out a book if they realise they need help there are also after school clubs that can help with this.
Apparently, I can't be passionate about something anymore because I come across as mean, trust me, if I was anyone else and not a 13 year old girl no one would tell me to watch my tone.
by the_vampire_ilinca; ; Report
Your age had nothing to do with my comment.
And I mean we're living in the 21st century, of course the school system and students of this age won't be the same as previous years. With the rise of technology and further "distractions" directed towards students, it's prone to happen.
And your point does not stand when fully deconstructed. When people as negative as you portray continue to bring down people for their intelligence and skills, it causes for people to shut out and no longer wanting to try in fear of "embarrassing" themselves. Some skills we needed back then are not needed as they are now, although English and the study of language is critical to you as a human and a career, new substances have been brought into jobs and the career market in general.
And with you bringing up that if you have any type of learning disabilities, the essay doesn't apply to you, it disarms the whole essay. It creates this marginalized group of I'm assuming you mean "average" kids. If you struggle with reading that doesn't inherently mean you have a learning disability, just a different set of skills. One kid might be better at mathematics than he ever will at English and that's okay.
I do not want you to take offense in anything I'm saying as that's the opposite of what I am trying to get across.
by valkdonut; ; Report