Cartoon: Losing literacy

Leher Kawadia, Staff Writer • February 2, 2025

Literacy rates in children are going down, as many children aren’t being taught to read in the early stages of school. According to the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP), not even half (43%) of fourth graders in the U.S. scored at or above a proficient level in reading. Many teachers enter the profession not knowing how to effectively teach young kids how to read, causing a decrease in literacy, along with book bans and censorship; these declining literacy rates contribute to the downfall of informational literacy and many sub-genres of literacy, such as data literacy and media literacy. This is a large issue for the education of the country, as the reading proficiency age is going higher and higher, and the ability to read is not short of a life skill. (Leher Kawadia)

Cartoon

About the Contributor

Leher Kawadia, Staff Writer

Leher Kawadia is a sophomore at Carlmont High School and is a first-year media arts student. She enjoys swimming, drawing, and baking. She is looking forward to creating cartoons this year and hopes to learn how to effectively cover and market interesting events!