People can’t read anymore.
Ok, that’s a bit dramatic, but America is currently in a literacy crisis, and it’s scary. The literacy crisis stems not just from a lack of reading or inability to read, but also from an inability to comprehend what is being read.
It’s important to note that this crisis doesn’t apply to everyone, but it does to some, and something needs to change.
Literacy
Ok, so what even is literacy? In its basic form, literacy is the ability to read words, sound them out, and pronounce them. In the case of the literacy crisis, the focus is functional literacy, which means the ability to take those words and actually understand, decode, and comprehend them. This allows us to interface with it in our daily lives, like reading instructions, a menu, directions, and more.
People who are not functionally literate cannot interpret or make sense of the language they encounter in everyday life. Furthering this is the fact that many don’t bother to even look up new vocabulary they come across, whether that be in a dictionary or on Google. There is a lack of effort to learn; the vocabulary is either ignored or placed in AI software (which often gives false information and isn’t inherently encouraging people to learn and comprehend the information).
The science of reading (scientific evidence about reading) is split into two parts: decoding and language comprehension. Decoding is the ability to turn letters into sounds, in basic terms, sounding out words. Language comprehension is exactly what it sounds like: the ability to take those sounds and words and attach them to meaning.
The Statistics
Low literacy rates result in fewer students graduating, fewer opportunities to get jobs, and, for those who do get a job, lower wages. Additionally, health literacy can lead to early mortality.
Within childhood literacy, there are state tests like the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), also known as “The Nation’s Report Card,” which test basic literacy at different ages. From 2020 to 2025, the NAEP saw the largest score drop in reading since the 1990s. A significant number of states have seen children perform below the NAEP basic level. In grades 4 and 8, the scores seen in 2024 are 2 points lower than 2022 and 5 points lower than 2019. In grade 12, the scores seen in 2024 are 3 points lower than 2019 and 10 points lower than 1992, when the first test was conducted. Essentially, children are scoring at levels similar to or lower than those seen in 1992. (Note: these scores do not include those in the 90th percentile, as they have remained mostly, if not entirely, unaffected.)
In adults, tests like the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIACC) have shown similar results. Between 2017 and 2023, increases were seen in the percentage of adults performing at the lowest proficiency level, with 28% in 2023. That means about 60 million adults (between the ages of 16 and 65) are reading at or below a level 1 reading level.
But what does this actually mean?
The PIACC tests literacy in three different sections: prose literacy, reading paragraphs of text and being able to make sense of them; document literacy, non-prose forms of literature (forms, tables, charts, instructions), and lastly, quantitative literacy, which is basically numerical literacy (budgets, being able to compare prices, calculating tips). The test separates participants into 5 levels, 1 being able to understand very basic forms of text (a menu) and 5 being able to understand complex ideas in complex texts. This means 28% of adults are only able to, or cannot at all, read the most basic of texts. While there are a variety of circumstances, no matter what, this situation is terrifying, and we need to ensure that we aren’t raising a generation of children who continue this trend.
Crisis and Solutions
Years ago, an idea was introduced that reading was a guessing game, and students were meant to read and learn by guessing and using context clues only to understand words and pronounce them. This idea separated learning from the idea of phonics, encouraging children to learn by assuming what the words should be rather than sounding them out alongside context. Over time, this process spread across America, and teachers began teaching through the idea of whole language education. While this idea was eventually revoked, things took off, and this process of learning was stuck. Literacy is a combination of being able to pronounce words and fully understanding and comprehending them.
Just because someone can read words off a page does not mean they can comprehend what they are reading and be able to paraphrase and feed the information back.
When it comes to comprehension, there are a few ways we can improve, especially in children. Back-and-forth communication between parent and child, with teachers, and among peers, is so important. People of all ages learn best when actively conversing. They learn from listening when they get the opportunity to express their own thoughts and get a better understanding of the words and language.
Reading out loud. Of course, not every parent has the time to sit down and read with their kids, and there is no judgment here about that, but reading out loud and encouraging kids to ask questions and point out words they don’t know is critical.
It’s also great to have kids read by themselves and encourage practicing phonics. This can also apply to all ages; reading out loud gives our brains a better chance to comprehend what we’re reading and try out new vocabulary (look it up and learn if you don’t know!).
While the internet is an incredible tool to aid people, tools like AI take away the hands-on aspect of learning and feed information to people rather than giving them a chance to properly learn and figure things out themselves. Overall, what’s important is encouraging learning. Learning from yourself, literature, peers, and the world around you can change everything.
Shame
There’s been a recent trend on TikTok where girls are asking their boyfriends to read out a list of words to test if they can pronounce them, and most can’t. There’s been a lot of hate surrounding this trend, as many believe that this isn’t funny or attractive, and to an extent I agree, but I do think we should be looking at this through a few lenses.
To an extent, yes, this is concerning; some of these words are used in daily conversation or are just commonly seen, but some words are understandable, especially those that aren’t English. It’s important to address the fact that being able to pronounce words does not determine one’s intelligence. As someone who loves to read, there are plenty of words that I’ve learned from books that I probably would not pronounce correctly if I used them in a conversation. I learned them from reading, not listening, and while I can try my best and use context clues, there are so many words that are pronounced completely differently from their spelling, have extra sounds, letters that are silent, and are just overall confusing.
This isn’t to say there isn’t a valid concern in this trend. While I don’t know all these men, there is an increase in people who are actively avoiding learning and are simply moving on with their lives rather than trying to understand and pronounce words they may be unfamiliar with. There’s a lack of effort, a lack of understanding of phonics, as many can’t even seem to sound out and attempt to pronounce these words. While some of this comes from choice and unwillingness, some of it also comes from shame, and the same goes for reading.
I think a big part of people not wanting to read comes from stigma and shame surrounding certain literature. Oftentimes it feels as though if you are not reading books like Pride and Prejudice, then there is no point in reading. I think it’s important to encourage reading, no matter what is being read. People are allowed to enjoy what they like and shouldn’t feel discouraged to read just because it’s romance, fantasy, or even comic books.
This includes fanfiction, which is a common discussion on social media. Fanfiction is such a fun and creative way to not only enjoy literature but also express yourself. There’s less judgment, less pressure, and it’s a lot more accessible than some other forms. There’s more variety, which gives everyone the chance to find something they like. Overall, it’s fun! Reading is meant to be enjoyed, meant to bring happiness and be fun, not something that’s dreaded.
So if you take away anything from this article, let it be: learn! Go out and learn and ask questions. Read anything and everything. Be curious.