I'm in high school, and in a normal english class (not remedial or "special"). We were reading "The Cask of Amantillado" last week, and people took turns reading paragraphs aloud. But people were struggling with common easy words, like "critical" and "grotesque". Is that normal? I would think kids would have heard of or read those words before. There are lots of foreign kids at my school (mostly Asian), and I can understand people who are new to this country having trouble reading, but these are kids who have been here most or all of their lives, and that I've heard speak very clearly outside of class. Has anyone else had this problem? Student, teacher, parent, whoever. Is it normal for high school kids to have this much trouble reading? I thought it might be because 7H3Y TOK LY|{3 T|-|!$, but I think I read somewhere that typing like that doesn't have an effect on reading or grammar skills.
2006-09-09 20:10:59 · 12 answers · asked by Anonymous in Education & Reference ➔ Other - Education
I honestly don't think I have a problem with reading out loud, but then it's hard to judge yourself completely unbiased.
2006-09-09 20:11:45 · update #1
Let me begin by saying I teach ninth grade English, so I truly understand this problem. It occurs in my school and I'm sure in others as well.
The root of the problem is the fact that schools have become parent pleasers because principals and school boards are afraid of being sued.
It's almost unheard of these days to hold a kid back in elementary or middle school. They just get passed on--whether they are capable of doing grade level work or not. Now with NCLB legislation, teachers are solely responsible for making sure the child is successful. Too often, teachers just pass students because it saves them a headache in paperwork.
It's ridiculous. But it's the way things are in the U.S. right now.
2006-09-09 20:23:32 · answer #1 · answered by bunstihl 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I have to agree with Bobbyd. We are in such a rush to tech other things that the basics are not being taught well enough at the elementary level and then you add the fact that parents do not take the time to read to their own children or have the children read aloud to them. There will come a day when we will pay the price for this. No matter how you look at it the whole thing is very sad
2006-09-09 20:21:47 · answer #2 · answered by mr. Bob 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think that it is because people don't read as much as they used to, there are so many other things to do for entertainment (TV, movies, video games). It used to be that in school, you learned "vocabulary", which was a new list of words every week, what they meant, and how they were pronounced. There was a lot more reading aloud in school then too.
2006-09-09 20:17:56 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
school kids these days are not being taught the correct way to read from the word go, so by the time they end up in high school they are still unable to read, i did a paper a while back and you will be shocked to find out that over 21% of school leavers are unable to read properly and some not at all, but they have graduated
2006-09-09 20:17:48 · answer #4 · answered by doctor_buchan 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Unfortunately this is what our school systems have come to. So many kids are left behind and there's no one there to catch them up. Parents aren't as involved with their child's education these days and hardly notice that their child is struggling. TOK1n9 LY|{ T|-|1$ may not effect your grammar, but it certainly isn't helping.
2006-09-09 20:25:51 · answer #5 · answered by Rusty Spoons 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Read the questions and answers on this forum and you wonder. Many have no concept of spelling. All that shorthand and half-eaten words and you wonder what standards the schools are setting. Many parents don't care either. It is sad, very sad.
2006-09-09 20:20:17 · answer #6 · answered by worldneverchanges 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Schools haven't put any focus on basic reading skills in years. Most kids are pushed too hard in comprehension and decoding over basic reading.
2006-09-09 20:19:25 · answer #7 · answered by coolmom 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Our public school systems in general are an embarrassment. Not only schools, but parents don't become involved in their own kid's educations either. Sad...sad sad sad.
2006-09-09 20:15:07 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
They are either very dumb or they don't like to read aloud. I opt to believe choice A.
2006-09-09 20:16:54 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
BECAUSE MOST KIDS IN THE SCHOOLS THESE DAYS ARE NOT PAYING ATTENTION NOR DO THEY WANT AN EDUCATION THEY ARE THINKING PARENTS OR SOMEONE WILL PAY THEIR WAY IN LIFE
2006-09-09 20:18:03 · answer #10 · answered by jk poet 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋