Teachers in many English classes across America are having students read fewer full-length books. Recently, the Associated Press explored the issue in education.
It reports that students instead are given only short parts of books. Educators said this is because they believe current students have shorter attention spans than those of the past. The teachers might feel pressure to prepare students for state and nationwide examinations know as standardized tests. They also might believe that short pieces of writing will help students in the modern, digital world.
The National Council of Teachers of English is a professional organization for teachers based in Champaign, Illinois. In 2022, the group released a statement about reading. “The time has come to decenter book reading and essay-writing as the pinnacles of English language arts education,” the group said.
Read more at VOA Learn English.