Does anyone wonder why there is so much emphasis on reading these days, to the point where we now need to be inspired and directed by a new “Science of Reading”—“science” for a basic skill that has been mastered by a growing number of people all over the world since John Gutenberg’s invention of the Gutenberg printing press around the year 1440, almost 600 years ago?
Before going any further, let’s take a moment to consider Gutenberg’s initial reaction to his own brilliant creation. As he was perfecting it, he recognized the awesome power efficient printing would provide, especially when coupled with the ability to read that common people would acquire. However, during the process of creating his machine, he tried to destroy it. Why would he do that? He recognized that once people were able to read whatever was printed, the potential outcome might not only broaden their minds and knowledge. Evil people could easily use the reading skills of the populace to misinform and mislead others by publishing material promoting malicious and dangerous ideas. Gutenberg’s driving motivation was to print the Bible so it would be directly accessible to everyone. But he also realized that his historic invention could just as successfully be used for evil. This outcome is evident everywhere today.
Another telling observation gives further cause for concern about what has happened to the understanding of all that reading entails and influences.
It is sadly true that mastery of reading skills, a grasp of advanced vocabulary, discernment, and independent, critical thinking have dramatically decreased among the general population of the United States for 250 years. In a recent video by Professor Peter St. Onge, a visiting Fellow at The Heritage Foundation, transcribed by The Daily Signal, St. Onge states, “I ran every inaugural address through a Flesch-Kincaid text analysis to measure the grade level. The logic being top speechwriters know how to talk at voters’ level.... Today, they’re eighth grade for Barack Obama, ninth grade for Donald Trump, and … seventh grade for Joe Biden….Andrew Jackson’s 1828 inaugural was written at 22nd grade—meaning, strictly speaking, two Ph.D.s was the median voter in 1828. Keep in mind Jackson was a populist man-of-the-people….George Washington’s inaugural was closer to 26th grade….Also keep in mind almost nobody in 1828—or 1789—had a formal education.”
Is this not alarming?
The following ideas focus on reading laws, but many of the arguments can be applied to much of the over regulation and legislation of our lives, including basic rights and freedoms that are being trampled upon and are rapidly disappearing.
So let’s bring just the reading issue up-to-date and out in the open by looking at significant activity by our South Carolina legislature. In 2006, having repealed Chapter 30 of Title 59 entitled “Basic Skills Assessment Program,” the legislature opened the door to a morass of educational changes. Learning to read has been one of the primary casualties of this action.
About ten years ago, after a “new” educational agenda became embedded into state schools (and thereby almost every other educational option), the legislature (with help from?) decided to recognize the dramatic drop in the reading competency of students. Apparently the educational establishment also needed to have what is happening codified into law, for reasons known only to a select few agents of change and their minions or to those who have followed the development of legislated learning methods, standards, and outcome requirements and understand the terrible consequences.
Ironically, for “conservative” Republicans in particular, this dilemma of poor student outcomes has opened a whole new kind of opportunity for the “experts” to appear messianic and help our elected officials claim they are wise, helpful, forward-looking, compassionate, benevolent, etc. and boost their “ratings” (i.e. help ensure re-election), along with a myriad of other self-serving rewards. Now they can use their legislative power (and the police power of the state) to control how students learn—and think. The primary target is reading, but it does not end with just reading. Look at state standards for all subjects. It is hard for clear thinking people to understand how making laws about learning will facilitate positive change. Let’s look at what the REAL goal is for these more recent additions to the voluminous body of law.
As the primary targets of this article, Chapters 152, “South Carolina First Steps to School Readiness,” 155, “South Carolina Read to Succeed Act,” and 156, “Child Early Reading Development and Education Program” should be required reading for every citizen concerned about where our children are being led by the educational establishment, aided by our legislature, educational lobbyists, publishers of school curricula, State Board of Education, South Carolina State Department of Education headed by Ellen Weaver, and other groups. These represent three chapters out of 106 total chapters in Title 59 (many have been removed over the years). Why are there so many chapters of law about reading? Should not this discipline be left to educators, parents, and those who teach or study this subject and perhaps know something about it? What qualifications do elected officials have? Parents have not been consulted about these changes in any meaningful way, and they are the closest to those directly impacted by the legislature’s dictates.
Two great dangers have been discussed elsewhere and should be self-evident to those who can still think independently and have common sense, the deception of the “benefits” of reading and the obsession with it. Deliberate misinformation and false indoctrination about reading, along with carefully nurtured dependence on so-called experts. take away most interest in looking at the real benefits provided by delaying formal teaching, particularly of reading. Mental strength and acuity children acquire through play and other formerly normal childhood rearing practices support and often enhance a necessary foundation for independent, higher-order thinking abilities. Loss of these opportunities often leads to life-altering challenges for young children.
A second great danger is the use of reading materials and methods that indoctrinate young minds, who may never be able to undo this early patterning. Much content of reading materials today is contrary to the foundational principles upon which our spiritual and unifying national values are built. Often this indoctrination is subtle, easy, to implement, and not noticed by people who do not think they are capable of making simple enlightening assessments of their school’s or children’s reading materials and methods (another subtle, yet effective brain-washing technique). Reading is not quite as effective for programming the minds of children as learning using technology devices, but it has the same effect, as Gutenberg foresaw. It seems those who have already fallen into this trap either can’t see it or don’t care—or it fits their agenda.
The methods used to teach reading are also often inappropriate to the unique learning readiness and styles of individual children, forcing them into a mold where they either don’t fit or cannot adapt at such a young age. Coupling many inappropriate methods and content with the use of technology to “teach” reading is not just a trap, it is a panacea to those who would control our children.
It is well-documented that the inevitable dependence on technology leads to decreased cognitive function in a myriad of ways. Seeing children literally plugged into a computer for their learning may do untold damage not only to the healthy development of the amazing capacity of the human brain, but may also destroy part of children’s innate humanness, helping to prepare them for a less human and more programmed existence. Do we really want to train our children to accept so much attachment and dependence on non-human tech devices?
To conclude. What is the real goal of reading legislation? First, control of the masses, control of the minds of a subjugated populace, control of the education establishment and ultimately control of all places providing child care and child rearing services. Second, creating docile and compliant workers, dumbing people down from birth, and cementing the power of a totalitarian government with tyrannical and deadly outcomes.
Some might say that since all this legislation is now a done deal, very expedient, and extremely necessary for those who believe it is not possible for them to choose anything else, it is too late to reverse course. However, think about how and why legislators would appoint themselves the arbitrators of good educational practice? How many of them know anything at all about education, child development and learning, or have a solid understanding of the “conservative” and constitutional principles which ought to be guiding their actions? Basically, the entire legislative body needs to be drastically culled or, even better, replaced.
REPEAL needs to be the order to our representatives, and this order should NOT be limited to just this example of the extraordinary overreach of legislative power. Our legislators need to listen to more diverse thinking and knowledgeable sources well beyond the think tanks, lobbyists, and their own hubris that control their votes. They refuse to listen to anything that might make sense. They must be removed from office as soon as possible, or we should realize what is coming and get ready for a brave new world.
Meg Johnson Education Specialist, MA, MEd, MBA megjohn49@comcast.net 9/1/24
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