Our country has a short yet rich literary history, producing some of the most influential novels of the past few centuries. This includes classics such as The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Great Gatsby, books which have played major roles in various epochs of our nation’s history and influenced people’s understanding of the American Dream.
However, the countless efforts taken to “modernize” the American educational system and transform the way we approach learning have backfired, as students are now reaching new lows in reading proficiency and enjoyment.
Last year, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) released its report card, finding that about one-third of all 12th grade students in the national study were below the NAEP Basic reading level. Education Secretary Linda McMahon expanded on the results in a post, revealing that 65 percent of high school students are “not proficient in reading.”
But why is this happening? It’s happening partly because we have rejected the great works of the past and created bland, baseless classes in an overstimulated world.
As a junior in college, I have been guided along the steps that have led to these disastrous results and personally witnessed the effects they have had on both my classmates and school curriculum.
We live in a time
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