Comments on: Study: Americans Reading A Lot Less

Reading Skills On The Decline Across Almost All Education Levels, Government Report Says

[ianlou]

OK
Who let seven_pesos out?

[luvcomments]

"Americans Reading A Lot Less"

Duh! This is news? It''s already strikingly obvious when one sees all the errors in spelling and grammar on even the news websites (and many comments).

The more one sees/reads the correctly written word, the more apt one is to write correctly. In 20 years, quite likely there''d be so many gross writing errors contained in all the websites'' material that we''d be lucky if we could read it in the intended context and without ambiguity. But - no worries - text will be "old hat" by then and entirely replaced by video/audio, catering to the next generation; otherwise, there would be no avenue of communication left to reach a majority in that group unable to read or write.

[seven_pesos]

christians are offering eternity in heaven with pat robertson, jerry falwell, jimmy swaggart, tammy fae bakker, ralph reed, ted haggard and other christian leaders...

muslims are offering 72 virgins.

screw them christians...

i''m converting to islam.

ha,ha,ha.

red state republican war makers.

want more? just vote republican.

ha,ha,ha.

[seven_pesos]

same red states that voted for bush will vote for the next republican candidate.

guaranteed!

ignorant red state snakes never learn.

all those midwest and southern repubican creeps.

war, hate, ignorance, christian creeps...

they still love bush in the red states.

ha,ha,ha.

[ianlou]

Ever since I was in school I''ve always believed that I would have done much better if I was taught one subject at a time instead of five or six. I mean, how many adults are asked at their job to attend five or six 55 minute meetings per day in which they are assigned to investigate, and generate data, on five or six different subjects that they are unfamiliar with and produce the results the next day?
I think many kids are lost because they can''t juggle that many subjects simultaneously.

Why not devote one fifth of each school year to one of five subjects and then move on to the next?

How much time is wasted running to another class room every hour, waiting for your turn to say "Here". How much energy is wasted carrying five or six text books around at a time.

I think the idea that kids get bored with the same subject after 55 minutes is wrong. At least give them a choice.

[ianlou]

Actually, ianlou, "see vulgarity posted throughout" is correct
And, since a "/" is the same as an "or," it is technically correct to use the word "does."
Posted by beckajw

A person would eventually run out of red ink correcting things I write.

[abdoul_pasha]

Yes, especially the writers in this forum do not read at all.

[ianlou]

...Learning to write well requires a good knowledge of spelling, grammar, and common usage. It requires practice. And it also requires reading GOOD writing, to see examples of how it''''s done. One cannot extract any useful lessons from reading online gobblygook. And one cannot communicate complex ideas with simplistic language. When we lose our ability to communicate, we lose our ability to think. This is a frightening symptom that does not bode well for America''''s future as a world leader.
Posted by tngreen

tngreen, good point and well written.

[beckajw]

And, since a "/" is the same as an "or," it is technically correct to use the word "does."

[beckajw]

Actually, ianlou, "see vulgarity posted throughout" is correct.

[prinzowhales]

20% of Americans can''t find their own country on a globe....you spend more on ''education'' than most countries...Your kids get their butts kicked in international scholastic competitions...AND ITS USUALLY A HOME SCHOOLER WHO WINS THE SPELLING BEE!

This should tell you something about the methodology, the curriculum, the management, the parents and the students...but it won''t...instead, the solution will be found in a new bond referendum...salary hikes for teachers and other ''solutions'' similiar to trying to cure cirrhosis with bourbon.

Idiots! Take control of your schools! Kick the feds out! Kick the PhDs in Education out! Kick the foundations out! Kick ''bidness'' out and start doing things the way they were done when American education was second to none.

[ianlou]

THIS STORY IS RIGHT ON THE MARK! JUST LOOK AT THE POSTS AND SEE VULGARITY REPEATED THROUGHOUT IT!
IT IS VERY CLEAR THAT THE PERSON/PERSONS POSTING THIS FILTH DOES NOT HAVE COMMAND OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND NEED TO GET AN EDUCATION IF THEY HAVE THE MENTAL CAPABILITY TO DO SO ! I VERY MUCH DOUBT IT!
Posted by prairiefox1

Lets talk literacy.
"SEE VULGARITY" should be "SEE THE VULGARITY"
The last word in a sentence should not be "IT"
If the last word is "IT" don''t make the first word of the next sentence "IT". "IT IS VERY CLEAR THAT THE PERSON/PERSONS POSTING THIS FILTH DOES NOT HAVE COMMAND OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE" "DOES" should be "DO" and "HAVE COMMAND" should be "HAVE A COMMAND".

I don''t mean to be nit-picky but this poster complaining about the literacy of fellow posters is like Charles Manson complaining about violence in America.

[lochlan-2009]

"The dumbing down of America," is alive and well. The proof is in the pudding. Hell, case and point... calling intelligent design science in order to get it into the class room.

You reap what you sew.

[beckajw]

onsteroids1, yes I want them to be teachers and babysitters; just as teachers have been since the beginning of time.

Sure, they went to undergraduate school. Yes, they got a masters while working. Oh, and poor them, they have to do work after school, grading and such.

Most people do work after work as well. They make enough to put the students first for 8 hours a day.

[ckcool192001]

This study reflects the attitudes of parents and school systems across the country. If parents were more involved in their childrens education this study might read differently.

[ianlou]

"I would KILL to make as much as the public school teachers in my district do. And weekends and summers off...they%u2019re rich, rich I tells ya!"
Posted by yankeerebel7

You don''t have to kill anyone, just complete 4 years of college, pay for the opportunity to student teach and then attend two more years of school (while teaching) for your masters degree. Want to be a professor?, put in another two years of college for a phd.

Oh yeah, two more things you''ll need, lots and lots of tuition money and an intellect capable of surviving an additional four to eight years of higher learning.

You''re right, Killing someone for a job like that would be a lot easier.

[prairiefox1]

THIS STORY IS RIGHT ON THE MARK! JUST LOOK AT THE POSTS AND SEE VULGARITY REPEATED THROUGHOUT IT!
IT IS VERY CLEAR THAT THE PERSON/PERSONS POSTING THIS FILTH DOES NOT HAVE COMMAND OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND NEED TO GET AN EDUCATION IF THEY HAVE THE MENTAL CAPABILITY TO DO SO ! I VERY MUCH DOUBT IT!

[onsteroids1]

Communication is like a auntie. Ya listen to her, but ya don''t listen to her. She''s a nagger and a terrible cook.

[michellem99-2009]

What the sighted too lazy to READ. It is so easy for them.They have full sight. They can SEE to read. I get pissed that I am cut off from this. Just about every thing is written in print too small to read. I know about talking books..They were forced out of Seattle plus I want to read what I want But the print is an issue. I never asked to be legally blind and multi handicapped but I was dealt that and got a poor education cause of it and my gender. I started school at 10. Therefore was the only pupil then with my special needs and teachers told me to my face they could not teach me. I was pissed and hurt at the same time. This was 64-74. Small towns. I was a foster child at that. I WISH THEY WOULD PUT ALL READING MATTER IN LARGE PRINT. Seniors and others tuuly Need it. Most have no one to read to them/us. Tiny print..I went to court and they handed me a form. I told her I can''t see that..So I found it on line and made it very large to filled it out. Printed it. Filed it and took care of my business there. I have very little faith in teachers as they are not worth the money we the people must pay them. I am aware there is a teacher that posted. Surely he/she is a good teacher. All I hear are the staff that are predators...Children ungrateful to the tax payers and their parents not mush better. In my one it was different...English read and used only. I am 53. Barbara

[tngreen]

The fact that so many people communicate online has no relationship to literacy. To illustrate her complaint about declining literacy, my daughter showed me some MySpace correspondence of several young adults she knows. I was surprised to learn that they spoke English as a primary language--the text was almost impossible to make sense of, and I''m not referring merely to the acronyms that frequently are sprinkled throughout online discussions. It was extremely difficult to make any meaning out of what these high school graduates had written. The goal of communicating an idea had not been attained.

Learning to write well requires a good knowledge of spelling, grammar, and common usage. It requires practice. And it also requires reading GOOD writing, to see examples of how it''s done. One cannot extract any useful lessons from reading online gobblygook. And one cannot communicate complex ideas with simplistic language. When we lose our ability to communicate, we lose our ability to think. This is a frightening symptom that does not bode well for America''s future as a world leader.