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Cake day: June 20th, 2025

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  • I taught middle and high school English for almost 30 years, and I do not buy the idea that there was ever some golden age where all kids read deeply and eagerly. There were always a handful who lived for books, a decent number who got by, and too many who struggled. What feels different now is how hard it is to pull struggling readers up. They are surrounded by noise, overstimulation, and technology that rewards speed and distraction over depth and patience. I could still teach them how to read a poem or unpack a paragraph, but it took more time and more fight. That said, I do not think kids are dumber. The world just shifted out from under them, and we never really gave them the tools to keep up.