Recently, professors at elite colleges told Atlantic writer Rose Horowitch that their students don’t read whole books anymore. They blamed cell phones, standardized tests, and extracurriculars, and they mostly agreed that the shift began in high school. In this episode of Radio Atlantic, we make the case for reading books, one memory at a time.
We talk to ... Show More
Nov 2024
The kids aren't reading all right
College students in 2024 are less willing and able to read full books. Today, Explained asks whether that matters.
This episode was produced by Peter Balonon-Rosen, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Andrea Kristinsdottir and Patrick Boyd, and h ... Show More
25m 26s
Sep 2018
Ep 150: I have a confession... I'm not a reader
Until recently, reading was a means to an end in language arts teacher Julie Mushkin's life - and the type of book that totally turned things around for her may surprise you. Today, Anne and Julie are recommending books perfectly suited for both teens AND adults, chatting about s ... Show More
47m 32s
May 2023
8: The Impact
Across the country, school districts are dropping textbooks, state legislatures are going so far as to ban teaching methods, and everyone, it seems, is talking about "the science of reading." Things have been changing since Sold a Story was released. In this episode, we tell you ... Show More
24m 33s
Sep 2025
Sunday Special: The Books We Read in School
<p>As kids across America head back to school, Gilbert Cruz, the editor of The New York Times Book Review, is thinking about the books he read when he was in school.</p><p>On today’s Sunday Special, Gilbert talks with the Book Review editor Sadie Stein and the author Louis Sachar ... Show More
49m 23s