As an elementary teacher of 33 years, it's not us. But when we sit across the table from parents and suggest retention for their student and they do nothing but resist, or we suggest testing and they decline, it's no longer our fault their children can't read. They make excuses for why they can't read with them at home, excuses for chronic absences and tardies and there are no consequences.

They rarely read for enjoyment. That’s it that’s all.

I blame it all on phones. Kids don’t read anymore. They don’t write. Everything is typed and autocorrected. When they do have to read, either the tv, music, air pod in ear. It’s constant distraction.

They come to middle school already 3+ years behind grade level. At that point, they have a hard time catching up or even improving. By high school, those same students are now 5+ years behind and have no desire to try to get better.

I’m an elementary reading specialist. The lack of a solid science of reading based tier 1 instruction is a huge problem. Fountas and Pinnell and Lucy Caulkins being used instead of structured literacy was damaging. A lot of states now have science of reading initiatives and laws in place that include dyslexia screening. All elementary teachers need to be trained in SOR which means undergrad programs need to be overhauled as well. My undergraduate literacy professor taught SOR, I was lucky.

Because parents think teachers are 100% responsible for their child’s learning. Parents need to encourage their kids to read at home so they can practice the reading skills that they’re learning at school. Parents can do this by reading to their kid and having the kid read to them for at least 15min every day. I’m a millennial and i can even tell you that back then, my neighbors and I all had books at home that we played with and read. Not necessarily the case anymore with the busy tech life.

Not an educator but a parent of kids 21 down to 9 and I saw the reading struggle once phonics was removed for sight words aka common core way of learning. It has done students a great disservice and as a parent who did not learn reading that way it was incredibly difficult for me to help them. Only two out of my 4 struggled.

It starts in primary school… 1) poor curricula choices influenced by shiny products willth little actual value. (Wonders/Into Reading etc) They were born from the balanced literacy movement. 2) a “wait and see” approach to intervention…

There is no longer any type of intervention for those students once they hit middle school. Elementary has reading/math specialists who are able to give students extra help. Once they hit middle school, they are on their own.

Because parents don’t read to their kids! They hand them iPads and put them in front of the tv! Parents don’t take the TIME to read and engage! Then Teachers are expected to work miracles to catch them up!