Decline in Full-Book Reading Among US Students

A survey conducted in 2024-2025 involving 1,250 high school English teachers revealed that they assigned an average of 2.81 full books annually, a decrease from 4 books reported in a 2008-2009 study of 400 teachers. In 2024, around 49% of adults indicated they had read at least one book in the past year, down from nearly 55% a decade prior, as stated by Sunil Iyengar from the National Endowment for the Arts. In 2025, approximately 32% of 12th graders scored below basic reading levels, an increase from 24% in 2002. Martin West of Harvard Graduate School of Education highlighted that literacy peaked around 2015 but has since declined. In response, a college professor initiated a summer course titled "Why read?" to explore works by Martha Nussbaum and Edward Said, meeting twice weekly for three weeks to encourage students to appreciate challenging texts. The professor believes that reading lengthy books fosters patience and critical thinking, yet recognizes that one course cannot change established habits.