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Teens should read great (but hard) books: 'Macbeth' is better than 'Hunger Games'
Good teachers can give students the tools to read, understand and appreciate classic books.

Joanne Jacobs
34 minutes ago3 min read
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'Wuthering Heights' is hot
A sexed-up movie version of "Wuthering Heights" is sending book sales soaring, and book clubs buzzing.

Joanne Jacobs
4 hours ago2 min read
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The future is female in medicine, pharmacy, dentistry, law . . .
Most law and medical students are female. Men hold the edge in business and engineering.

Joanne Jacobs
1 day ago1 min read
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Reading lessons focus on 'tasks' -- not understanding
"Are we teaching K-4 kids that reading is just tasks, labeling stuff and filling out graphic organizers?"

Joanne Jacobs
4 days ago2 min read
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Too many tweens and teens can't read the textbook
A quarter to a third of middle-school students struggle in all their classes because they don't read very well.

Joanne Jacobs
6 days ago2 min read
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From 'The Cat in the Hat' to 'Hamlet' to 'The Lord is my shepherd ... '
Classic books, poems, speeches, stories -- and Bible passages -- are on Texas' new K-12 reading list.

Joanne Jacobs
Jan 262 min read
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Boring books? Will teens love reading if books are 'accessible' (easier)?
Dump the classics and assign "accessible" books that teens might enjoy reading, argues a former English teacher.

Joanne Jacobs
Jan 222 min read
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'One Big Book' doesn't seem like much
Reading "One Big Book" over a semester won't be too hard, English professors tell college students. It's "deep reading."

Joanne Jacobs
Jan 62 min read
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Studying the humanities is hard, and that's a good thing
Professors won't persuade students the humanities are relevant and practical. Tell them "all things excellent are as difficult as they are rare"

Joanne Jacobs
Dec 17, 20253 min read
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Greatly reduced expectations: Students read few 'whole books' or none at all
Reading excerpts in English class, but few whole books, leaves many unprepared to read "lengthy or complex texts" in college.

Joanne Jacobs
Dec 16, 20253 min read
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The Left thinks poor kids can't learn
"Progressives" don't want to believe education reforms can help poor children learn more.

Joanne Jacobs
Dec 15, 20253 min read
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Texas' English curriculum: What would Jesus do?
Some Texas students are learning a bit more about Bible stories and Christian beliefs in English class.

Joanne Jacobs
Dec 8, 20252 min read
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We need a new IDEA
A new IDEA would focus on student success, and reserve special ed for the truly disabled.

Joanne Jacobs
Dec 3, 20252 min read
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Resist the AI apocalypse: Students want to be 'capable humans, independent thinkers'
Humanities professors can teach students to resist AI cheatbots and learn to read, write, converse and think.

Joanne Jacobs
Dec 2, 20252 min read
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By middle school, students need more than 'the cat sat on the mat'
Teachers are seeing more middle and high school students who lack basic reading skills.

Joanne Jacobs
Nov 25, 20252 min read
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The anti-knowledge league prefers 'engagement' to learning
Teaching knowledge and vocabulary helps students learn, but education professors prefer "engagement" to learning.

Joanne Jacobs
Nov 21, 20252 min read
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Idiocratic education
Relying on AI to do the math for you is "a recipe for idiocracy."

Joanne Jacobs
Nov 20, 20253 min read
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Today's students will earn 8% less (but won't know how much that is)
U.S. students' future earnings -- and the economy as a whole -- will be much lower because of declining achievement in math and reading.

Joanne Jacobs
Nov 19, 20252 min read
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Ford can't find mechanics for $120K: It takes math to learn a trade
Ford can't find auto mechanics -- for $120,000 a year. Most high school graduates don't know enough math (or read well enough) to succeed in job training.

Joanne Jacobs
Nov 17, 20252 min read
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Unready or not, they're going to college
A third of high school graduates (or less) are ready for college math and reading, but a majority will enroll in four-year colleges.

Joanne Jacobs
Nov 13, 20252 min read
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