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My Students Can’t Read

The generational collapse in literacy is measurable, persistent, and likely to get worse.

The Review | Essay

June 1, 2026

Six weeks into the term, I assigned my rhetoric and writing students a 20-page article. It was the same length I had assigned for five years and the same length I had read without complaint as an undergraduate a decade ago. Not one student finished it.

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About the Author

Tyler Jagt

Tyler Jagt has taught literature and critical writing at several universities.

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