Picture this: a bright-eyed freshman at Columbia University—yes, Columbia—sits down with The Iliad, ready to tackle Homer’s epic. Three pages in, they’re sweating, scrolling TikTok, and wondering why anyone would write a book this long. Professors nationwide are raising the alarm: students can’t read books anymore, even at elite schools. The podcast “Why Nobody Reads Anymore” digs into this crisis, and as Laura Lurns—child psychologist, parenting coach, and preschool maestro—I’ve got the scoop. Parents, this could be your kid’s future, but it doesn’t have to be.
The Phonics Flop That Started It All
Back in the day, we taught kids to read with phonics—sounding out “c-a-t” until it purred. It was methodical, and it worked. Then, in the 1960s, “whole language learning” swooped in, promising kids could soak up words like sponges if we just set the vibe. Spoiler: they didn’t. Literacy rates plummeted across the U.S., Canada, and beyond. Kids who missed phonics grew up dreading books—reading became a slog, not a joy.
Struggling readers? It’s not their fault—blame phonics flops and screen overload.
Test Mania and the Stamina Stealer
Even kids who learned to read faced a new foe: education reforms like No Child Left Behind and Common Core. English class turned into test-prep boot camp—excerpts, multiple-choice, and “informational text” ruled. Forget diving into Dickens; kids were trained to skim and score. Reading stamina—the muscle for wrestling a whole book—wasted away. I’ve seen it in my occupational therapy sessions: a kid who can’t focus past a page isn’t “broken”—they’ve just never flexed that muscle.
If you weren’t taught how to read properly, reading is never going to be something that you do for fun—it’s going to feel really difficult and like a lot of work.
Laura Lurns · Learning Success expert
Screens: The Attention Thief
Then came the smartphones, sealing the deal. Kids today read all day—captions, tweets, billboards—but not books. The podcast nails it: our world demands attention, not depth. As a special ed expert, I know this isn’t about laziness; it’s about habits. Without practice, even Columbia-bound brains struggle with a novel a week. But here’s the kicker—neuroplasticity says it’s fixable.
Key takeaways
- Whole language learning left kids without phonics, making reading a slog.
- Standardized tests and screens killed reading stamina—kids need practice, not excerpts.
- A growth mindset, fueled by parental involvement, can rewire any brain for reading success.
Growth Mindset: The Brain’s Superpower
Cue my favorite soapbox: the growth mindset. Too many parents sigh, “My kid’s not a reader.” Hogwash! Brains are Play-Doh, moldable with effort. Kids who see reading as a skill to build, not a talent they lack, thrive. I’ve watched it happen—pair that mindset with tricks like chunking books or making it a game, and kids beg for “one more chapter.” Parents, you’re the spark—model it, nudge it, cheer it.
When a student who is fully capable of reading says that they can’t read a whole book in a week, it’s likely because they haven’t had a chance to develop their reading stamina.
Laura Lurns · Learning Success expert
Parental Power vs. the Apathy Villain
The villain? Apathy—that sneaky belief reading’s a lost cause for your kid or those frazzled freshmen. You’re their first teacher, and the stakes are huge. A child who masters reading gains confidence, focus, and a future where books aren’t the enemy. Ditch the “they’ll figure it out” vibe—set up phone-free zones, read together, make it fun. Want more? Check my Free Growth Mindset Course for strategies to turn your kid into a reading rockstar. Let’s kick apathy to the curb and build brainpower, one page at a time.
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