In interviews, professors noted a significant decline in students' ability to analyze and synthesize information from lengthy or intricate texts. An associate professor of business at FAMU, who requested anonymity (we will just call her Bea Smith), highlighted a stark contrast to earlier years in her teaching career. "Eighteen years ago, students could summarize and synthesize information effectively," she Smith. "Now, we spend class time merely teaching students how to identify categories of information and organize them."
This erosion of reading skills manifests in various academic functions, including note-taking. "Students now require explicit instruction on what to write down and how to structure their notes," she explained. "Many struggle to rephrase statements without fundamentally altering their meanings."
The root causes of these literacy challenges are complex and multifaceted. Adam Kotsko, an assistant professor at North Central College, described the crisis as a “conspiracy without conspirators.” He argues that while no one intended to create a system that failed to equip students with essential reading and critical thinking skills, the outcome has been detrimental. Kotsko noticed these changes around 2019, observing that even diligent students often responded to readings in disjointed and superficial ways.
Kotsko and others attribute the decline in reading comprehension to several factors, including:
Pandemic-related learning loss: A 2023 survey by the EdWeek Research Center found that 24% of secondary-school officials reported severe learning loss in English and language arts during and after the pandemic.
Flawed reading instruction: Many students were taught reading strategies that did not emphasize phonics, leading to poorly developed foundational skills.
Testing culture: The current emphasis on standardized tests often prioritizes close reading of excerpts over comprehensive understanding of full texts.
Decreased reading for pleasure: Data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress reveals a significant drop in the number of young people reading for enjoyment, with only 17% of 13-year-olds reading for fun daily in 2020, compared to 35% in 1984.
Smartphone impact: The prevalence of smartphones and social media has altered reading habits, promoting shorter, fragmented texts that hinder deep comprehension.
Interestingly, a survey conducted in 2023 indicated that many students and parents were not overly concerned about college readiness, suggesting a disconnect between perceived preparedness and actual skills. This misapprehension may stem from grading practices adjusted during the pandemic, which made it appear that students were performing well, despite widening gaps between high school grades and standardized test scores.
Many students enter college believing they have mastered writing skills, often due to minimal writing requirements in high school, said Smith. "When they realize that an A in high school does not equate to a C in college, the shock can be profound," Smith added.
Some educators point to recent equitable grading practices in middle and high schools as potential contributors to declining academic effort. Policies that set minimum grades at 50% and eliminate penalties for late work may inadvertently signal to students that deadlines and effort are not critical.
Troy E. Spier, an assistant professor at FAMU, shared his experience with these practices, noting that students often assume they will receive high grades in college based on inflated high school performances. He emphasized that the decline in reading and writing skills cannot be attributed solely to these grading changes but also to a broader cultural shift away from reading.
Spier's observations about students' personal literacy narratives reveal a shift from stories of parental reading to tales of consuming social media content. "If students are not surrounded by readers and their only reading experiences are tied to grades, it's no surprise that their interest in reading diminishes," he said.
This sentiment was echoed by Kotsko's student, N. Klepczarek, who described a high-achieving high school experience that left little room for creative engagement with reading. "High school taught us that reading had to be work, that it had to have a grade assigned to it," Klepczarek lamented.
As educators grapple with these challenges, the question remains: How do we effectively address the declining literacy skills of college students? While the pandemic has exacerbated existing issues, many agree that the roots of the crisis run deeper, reflecting long-standing educational and cultural trends.
As discussions continue, it is clear that a concerted effort is needed from all stakeholders—educators, parents, and policymakers—to cultivate a culture of reading that emphasizes enjoyment, curiosity, and critical engagement with texts. Only then can we hope to reverse the troubling trends observed in today’s classrooms and ensure that students are equipped with the skills they need for success in college and beyond.