At top colleges around the country, high-achieving students struggle to keep up with assignments for English classes. The root of this issue lies deeper than procrastination — it stems from high school English courses’ insufficient emphasis on novels and discussions. While MCPS still requires students to read full-length books, it overlooks classroom discussion and analytical writing.
MCPS should rework the 9th and 10th grade English curricula to focus more on reading diverse, challenging texts, promoting in-class discussions and essay writing that develop close-reading skills. The current curriculum features these activities at a smaller scale, but the county should expand them. As reading and critical thinking skills decline, secondary education must emphasize and build a foundation for these faculties as early as possible.
Rose Horowitch, a journalist for The Atlantic, argues that secondary education doesn’t provide students with the skills they need to succeed at a higher level.
“Many students no longer arrive at college — even at highly selective, elite colleges — prepared to read books,” Horowitch wrote. “It’s not that they don’t want to do the reading. It’s that they don’t know how. Middle and high schools have stopped asking them to.”
This lack of student preparedness is reflected in the declining scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, also known as the nation’s report card. Since 1992, the percentage of students meeting the NAEP “proficient” and “basic” reading levels has been consistently decreasing. In 2019, only 70% of students in the U.S. performed at or above the basic level, a 10% drop from 1992.
While books play a central role in Whitman’s English curriculum, the problem is insufficient interaction with the text. Teachers rarely spend instructional time on free-flowing discussions, instead usually dedicating class time to completing assignments. Sophomore Ethan Brooks said he learns the most from English class through conversations.
“I think the most important part of English class is actually speaking,” Brooks said. “I think the Socratic Seminar is a good representation of that.”
Whitman’s English curriculum also lacks written engagement with required readings. This year, an Honors English 10 class read Marjane Satrapi’s graphic novel “Persepolis”, a story about her experience growing up during the Iranian Revolution. While reading, students had to fill out a comprehensive reading tracker noting how the visual elements of the graphic panels enhanced the story. After completing the novel, students had a perfect opportunity to write an essay comparing how graphic novels and textbooks depict historical events. Instead, teachers assigned a digital infographic. The curriculum seems to be moving away from rigorous essay writing altogether. Although the county may be trying to make English class more accessible, they’re doing so at the cost of students’ preparation for the future.
Advanced English classes like AP Literature and Composition and AP English Language and Composition are available to juniors and seniors. However, as these classes aren’t required, some students remain in honors or on-level English 11 and 12. Students should still have the option to take their preferred level, but each class should cover reading and analyses at their respective difficulty levels.
Younger generations’ increased reliance on technology has made this issue especially pertinent. On average, Generation Z Americans spend six and a half hours on their phones daily — a 14% increase from last year. Sophomore Olivier Bui says the internet has seriously impacted his reading habits.
“I used to read a lot in elementary school, but now I don’t really read at all,” Bui said. “I just got kind of bored. Scrolling just made my attention span so much worse.”
The growing prominence of artificial intelligence (AI) tools like ChatGPT allows students to avoid writing essays themselves, as AI can generate the work for them in seconds. In-class discussions would mentally stimulate students, requiring them to think for themselves.
Increasing the reading workload in English classes could benefit students in other ways besides future academic preparation. Reading not only improves attention span, focus and concentration, but also discourages excessive screen time.
In the absence of a county-wide change, teachers themselves can take initiative. English teacher Christopher Williams noted that English class allows for a broader range of teaching styles and assignment choices.
“I think compared to other subjects, we are fortunate,” Williams said. “We’re probably one of the subjects that does have the most freedom.”
English teachers should use this freedom to emphasize reading, essay writing and critical thinking. The development of these skills is both crucial to helping students succeed in future English classes and necessary for a generation that’s spending an unprecedented amount of time online.
