Why can't Johnny Read. Or why is it that young people today cannot?

Question

Form a simple sentence without sounding like complete morons?
Just read a question that started out Has anybody ever...and I wanted to answer no, they just put the place there so people would ask stupid questions like has anybody ever gone there. Has this happened to you?

Maybe I shoudl have asked

why can't people understand a question when it is asked as a question?

Answer 1

Yes, but this question didn't turn out that way for you did it? LOL

You needed to put a few dots at the end of that one!

But to answer your first question which is a more interesting one to Johnny Q Public....kids don't read for TWO huge reasons.

The first is a minor excuse really, but they don't read because they get "enough" homework and don't want to spend even that time doing it, never mind reading MORE on top of it (and this carries on well into adulthood because everyone is simply too "busy".) Pity.


And secondly, the major reason, is that there are much better "distractions" to appeal to them then simply reading a book, tv, computer, blab phones, Ipods, gaming systems, zap, zap, zap!

In the "old" days, the land before toys and electronic gadgets to fry your brains, kids only had BOOKS....books WERE the entertainment.

What a PITY all these gizmos took away the ability to escape into others worlds and the fantasy and inspiration that would shape and influence the futures of young people.

They can't possibly know the value of a great book, the escape, the worlds it can transform you to.

Now they watch movies about time machines--well a good book WAS a time machine was it not?

I can't tell you the countless books and information this old brain has processed. I don't have the words to express all the thoughts that go around in my head sometimes, because when you absorb so much information you acquire knowledge which you can't possibly pass on to anyone who hasn't experienced it for themselves.

So it's a sad, sad, state of affair for kids today.

They probably do more reading in Y/A than they've done in all their years in school.

So perhaps this isn't such a bad place to educate Johnny Q Public after all.

++++++++++++++

After reading everyone's comments I can say I sympathize with all sides.

It is society today and our lifestyles and it all contributes to why our kids are failing.

It's horrible to blame the children. How can anyone do that? They are only a result of what we as adults have taught them.

So if they are rude, obnoxious, lazy, failing, stupid, morons, bullies, thieves and murderers, it's a result of the world we have created for them.

As a mother, I can say I sacrificed my career when my children came along. Instinct alone should be what guides any mother to do what is best for her child, and what's best for a child is for the parents to be there raising them with the guidance they need.

You might think this is a huge undertaking but frankly by the time a child is starting school they should already have what it takes to walk along the path of success or of failure.

I honestly believe this is true.

So if a person cannot spend the formative years nurturing and loving thier child, it's a downright crime.

By the time a child is 8, 9, or 10 they should be functioning on their own, able to stuff their schoolbags with what they need, able to organize themselves at school, able to do their homework on their own (however guidance is always best if you want them to be better than the average joe) and it's not that hard as you would think.

It's an excuse for parents to say "I'm busy". It takes organizational skills which the parent themselves don't have, perhaps they don't even have the education themselves. But even if that is true, they can be of use to their child by being the type of example for their child that they want to see their child aspire to be.

If you can't give your children wings, who do you expect is going to? You're silly and ridiculous to assume that school teachers are magical gods that can make up for all the shortcomings in this world.

The biggest failures to our children (or the biggest factor to their success) is GOVERNMENT. If your children overall are failing the grade, government isn't doing their part. What nonsense to get rid of cursive writing. That is just an excuse for doing less and less in the school system, which in the States doesn't seem to be doing enough. There are special tapes and learning materials and special educations classes and remedial reading and mentoring etc. etc. etc. and kids from older grades can come and help kids in younger grades read too, during lunch hours. There is so much that can be done if you have caring parents on the council, good teachers and a good principal who cares.

Answer 2

Please don't blame schools and teachers. They do teach cursive writing around here, but the kids never have to use it because they do so much on computers. I think a lot of what we see on Answers is bad shorthand from IM and text messaging. I get really frustrated by the fact that people don't know the difference between there, their and they're. But that's why I gravitate to the seniors area. We all at least try to write in complete sentences and use correct grammar. Teachers today are a good as the ones we had, but in the US the emphasis has shifted to teaching to the tests, and national standards that are crazy and "no child left behind" which is leaving everyone in the dark. It is set up for the schools to fail. Parents don't have as much time to spend with their kids, either. Parents are the first teachers and they need to spend quality time with their children, playing games that will help them develop language and Math skills long before they go to school. The "don't worry about spelling" thing actually has good results. My two younger children were taught that way and their writing AND spelling skills are far better than their older sister who was taught spelling in a more traditional way. The thought is that children in Kindergarten through 2nd grade can use much more sophisticated language than they can spell. If you let them put their words on paper without emphasizing spelling, they are much more willing to use the full range of their language. Spelling can be taught later, and like learning a common language, children learn correct spelling in order to communicate better. In our school district they start to teach spelling in 3rd grade.
Edit - OK, so some teachers are idiots. You do whatever works for your child and teachers normally value a parent's support and influence. I don't think we can blame any one thing. I do know I would be fighting tooth and nail for the best education my kids could get. I spent a whole year working with my son's fifth grade teacher, who I thought had given up and should have retired. Phonics is a good tool, but not the only tool we need to read. The phonics generation didn't learn to read, either - that's why they stopped teaching it exclusively. Good teachers use phonics as well as other methods. I'm sorry your grandson's teacher is such a jerk, Rita. It sounds like she threw the baby out with the bath water.

Answer 3

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Answer 4

They should put the subject matter before they ask, Has anybody?

Going to the young people's site gives you the horrors at the spelling and questions. Have you... Do you...

Also, Wally a LOT of people don't read the whole question? I have posted questions and some of the answers are classic. No relation to the question at all.

Sentence structure and good spelling is a thing of the past. A typing error, is fine, we all do it. Bad English that is what it is.

Answer 5

Because todays children are not taught to read using phonics,
are not taught cursive writing. Do not read the classics in English and are lucky if they are not cutting school most of the time, They do not know how to compose a sentence. They are so busy text messaging, with all the abbreviations that they have forgot how to write correctly. They have spell check on their computers, but few use it. They speak in slang and think that is the normal way to talk.

Answer 6

I have a bright grandson that can not read. I could not understand why he could get good grades in spelling, math, and all the other subjects, but still could not read. So I took upon myself to test him. I had him read several different grade level books to me. He could not sound out any words. He did not know how. He had been memorizing his lessons at school, to get the good grades he was getting. I went to Barnes and Noble, and purchased some basic phonics books, phonics flash cards, and some books that would interest him. Now every Friday he comes to my house after school. I teach him phonics, and have him read to me. His third grade teacher told me she could see a big difference in his reading at school. He was tested my the Area Education Association, and they said that he was too smart to be tutored. I just laughed when I heard that. However, I am enjoying spending time with him, and teaching him the basics.

Answer 7

There is SO much rubbish spouted about 'young people today'. Significantly, however, human beings everywhere have always spouted much the same rubbish about young people. You find the same complaint in Classical and mediaeval literature.

If you truly believe that most young people used to express themselves better, spell better, or conform better to the norms of Standard English, then you know very little about the history of the language (or, indeed, of any language, or of how language works in general).

There is almost certainly a higher standard of literacy in English-speaking countries today than ever before. Articulacy too has increased as education has become more widespread, although it has probably remained more constant than literacy.

There are, however, two big changes that have made inarticulacy appear to increase: the first is that women, rightly, can now rise above the rank of secretary and receptionist. This means that fewer very bright and able people work as secretaries and receptionists than before. Second, far more people now have access to the means to express themselves publicly; so we hear a lot more from the inarticulate and poorly educated. But they were always there, and once in greater numbers.

Answer 8

I will have to agree that good education starts at home with the parents speaking properly also and being very involved and consistent in their child's education.

Although I agree that many young folk we come across online seem not to have basic language skills, most that I know face to face DO have such skills - such my own grands and their friends and grands of my friends. So Chin Up Wally - b elieve it or not there are many kids out here that can speak and write their little butts off! ....[even though they also are text fanatics]

PS - the schools appear to not being emphasizing the rudiments of language as they did when we were young...I noticed that even when my own children were in school, so their father and I supplemented their education at home utilizing [believe it or not] a set of SRA programmed instructional materials created for adult education classes...

Answer 9

Children today can't read or do math because they're not taught the basics. I worked in the local school system for the last 5 years and the kids we're amazed that we learned the
multiplication tables, and to sound out words all without electronic devices when we were in school. They can't do anything without a calculator or computer. They are not taught to spell properly or have good handwriting. That's a shame because they're not taught to think.

Answer 10

It really does take a village to raise a child. The parents need to do their part. My daughter was reading before she got to school. Then it's the teacher's turn & I agree with the teacher on here. It's impossible to teach 30+ kids when you have to use most of your time on discipline. Then, the parents don't work with you. "Not my child!" is the normal response. Not only can't they write in cursive nor spell, they don't know multiplication tables. They can't do anything without a calculator or computer. These are good tools, but they need to learn the basics first. To make things worse, with the "no child left behind" policy, teachers are forced to teach the test to save their school's funding.