Students are Reading Less: How Can We Reverse the Trend?

A deep dive into the decline of reading among students, examining the factors contributing to this trend, including busy lifestyles, technology, and curriculum constraints. The discussion highlights the importance of fostering a love for reading through engaging teaching methods, social interactions, and empowering educators to have a say in curriculum decisions. Experts share insights on how to make reading a more enjoyable and communal experience for students, emphasizing the need for sustained attention and cognitive engagement with texts. Follow on Twitter: @aldenejones @Doug_Lemov @DTWillingham @LisaPas220 @MattRKay @jonHarper70bd @bamradionetwork Alden Jones is a professor at Emerson College and the author, most recently, of The Wanting Was a Wilderness. She is the editor of the forthcoming Edge of the World: An Anthology of Queer Travel Writing (May 2025). She is on the Fulbright Specialist roster as an expert in creative writing pedagogy. Lisa Leaheey has taught English at North Providence High School for the entirety of her 23-year career. A lifelong voracious reader and movie buff, she spends every day sharing her passion for stories with her students, and she continuously seeks out new ways to elevate her students’ individual strengths and to support their individual needs. Lisa was recently named the 2023 Rhode Island Teacher of the Year, Matthew R. Kay is a proud product of Philadelphia’s public schools and a founding teacher at Science Leadership Academy (SLA). He graduated from West Chester University and holds a Master’s in Educational Leadership with a Principal’s certificate from the California University of Pennsylvania. At SLA, he teaches an innovative, inquiry-driven, project-based curriculum. He is also the Founder and Executive Director of Philly Slam League (PSL). Daniel Willingham is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Virginia, where he has taught since 1992. Until about 2000, his research focused solely on the brain’s basis of learning and memory. Today, all of his research concerns the application of cognitive psychology to K-16 education. He is the author of several books, including the best-selling Why Don’t Students Like School?, and Outsmart Your Brain. His writing on education has appeared in twenty-three languages. In 2017 he was appointed by President Obama to serve as a Member of the National Board for Education Sciences. Doug Lemov is the author of Teach Like a Champion (now in its 2.0 version) Reading Reconsidered and Practice Perfect—studies of top teachers, top teaching and the PD tools that can make more of those things. He works at Uncommon Schools and lives in upstate NY.