What's wrong with kids today The Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy has an article entitled, "Lessons in the Teaching of Vocabulary from September 11 and Harry Potter." It asks why it is that adults can never pronounce or remember Pashtun and other foreign names, but kids can easily remember new words like Slytherin and sneakoscope. One of the article's 3 conclusions is this: "Speakers are more likely to learn new words when they are feeling playfully engaged rather than when they are feeling threatened and worried."

No wonder nobody knows how to teach reading. 

¶ 9:50 AM