Are we reading less—or is the way we read changing? Inspired by a provocative recent article in The Atlantic, Stacy, Donell, and Lindsay take on some big questions about reading, attention, and what it means to be a reader today. Their conversation explores what may be changing, what may be at stake, and what educators can do about it.
Show Notes
A recent Atlantic article makes a provocative claim: America may not be becoming illiterate, but post-literate—a society in which people can read but increasingly choose other ways to learn, think, communicate, and entertain themselves.
In this episode, Stacy Hurst, Donell Pons, and Lindsay Kemeny unpack that idea and consider what declining reading habits, shorter attention spans, digital distractions, and changes in classroom reading experiences could mean for students and adults alike.
Their conversation explores the difference between knowing how to read and actually being a reader, including:
- The distinction between reading ability, reading behavior, reading stamina, and reading culture
- How smartphones, social media, short-form content, digital devices, and AI compete for attention
- Why sustained reading asks something different of the brain than more passive forms of media
- Whether schools have unintentionally contributed to the problem by relying more heavily on excerpts and short passages instead of whole books
- Why explicit reading instruction and opportunities for deep, meaningful reading shouldn't be treated as competing priorities
- The importance of read-alouds and shared reading experiences at home and in the classroom
- What teachers can—and can't—control when it comes to helping students become lifelong readers
- Some encouraging signs that reading may not be disappearing after all
Resources Mentioned in This Episode
- The Atlantic: “The End of Reading Is Here” by Rose Horowitch
- Maryanne Wolf: “Elbow Room: How the Reading Brain Informs the Teaching of Reading”
- Daniel Willingham: Raising Kids Who Read: What Parents and Teachers Can Do
- Dallas ISD: Cellphone Restrictions and Library Checkouts
- Stacy and Lindsay reference reports of increased library use after cellphone restrictions. Dallas ISD reported more than 200,000 additional library checkouts through March 31, 2026—a 24.35% increase over the same period the previous school year.
- Read the CBS Texas report
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