Chris Stanislawski didn't read much in his middle school English classes, but it never felt necessary. Much of the reading material at Garden City Middle School on Long Island was either abridged books or online texts and printouts, he said. "When you're given a summary of the book telling you what you're about to read in baby form, it kind of just ruins the whole story for you," says Chris, 14. "Like, what's the point of actually reading?"
- The trend: In many English classrooms across America, assignments to read full-length novels are becoming less common, per the AP. Some teachers focus instead on selected passages—a concession to perceptions of shorter attention spans, pressure to prepare for standardized tests, and a sense that short-form content will prepare students for the modern, digital world. The National Council of Teachers of English acknowledged the shift in a 2022 statement on media education, saying: "The time has come to decenter book reading and essay writing as the pinnacles of English language arts education."