Chris Stanislawski didn't read much in his middle school English classes, but it never felt necessary. Students were given detailed chapter summaries for every novel they discussed, and teachers played audio of the books during class.
Much of the reading material at Garden City Middle School in 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," said Chris, 14. "Like, what's the point of actually reading?"
In many English classrooms across America, assignments to read full-length novels are becoming less common. 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."
