By Kat Littfin

News Editor

OpinionAn Atlantic article published late last year garnered national attention with its title, The Elite College Students Who Can’t Read Books. The article describes Columbia Literature Humanities professor Nicholas Dame’s recent realization that many of his students do not read the books they are assigned. Perhaps the prevalence of websites that summarize popular books or teens’ increasingly short attention spans due to social media are to blame. However, Dames argues that teachers simply did not assign books for their students to read in their middle school and high school classes. As a product of LGHS’s Honors and AP English programs, I have had to read my fair share of books varying in length and content, but with a twin brother who has taken regular English classes, the difference between the advanced and regular English classes is glaringly obvious. Of course, there should be a difference between the two levels; however, the vast gap in the number and complexity of literature read in the separate sections puts the majority of Los Gatos English students at a disadvantage when it comes to higher education. Therefore, grade-level English classes should heighten their reading requirements to better prepare their students for college and to help them develop other valuable skills.

Going into my freshman year English class, I had already read three books for summer reading. By the end of the school year, I had read at least ten books. In contrast, my brother did not have to read any books. For the 2025-26 academic year, the English department will no longer offer English 9 Honors as an option for incoming freshmen. While there is clearly rationale behind this decision, it likely means students’ required reading in their freshman year will be much lower than previous English 9 Honors students had. Entry-level college English classes vary in the number of books they require their students to read, but typically they have a minimum of two to four books. To realistically prepare their students for college, grade-level English classes should assign their students a similar number of full-length books.

More assigned reading not only allows students to be better prepared for their college classes, but it also helps them develop skills that can aid them in high school and outside of their academic paths. Reading takes practice. Being able to focus on and analyze information for long periods is not a talent that many students in the age of social media possess, but many classes that LGHS offers require that skill. Classes like AP European History and Honors Biology have information-heavy textbooks, and students are expected to read up to twenty dense pages a night. Balancing this reading with other classes is nearly impossible if students do not possess the reading stamina that can only be developed through consistently reading long books. Language and academic skills are not the only benefits of increased reading. Reading can also help students improve their mental health, as reading rather than spending extended time on screens can reduce stress, help with sleep, and stimulate the mind. A twelve-year-long study from the National Library of Medicine even found that those who read had improved cognition and a survival advantage over non-readers.

While students increasingly stray away from reading, college requirements have yet to change. To better prepare their students for their future academic careers and lives in general, English teachers should increase reading requirements in all of their courses, regardless of level.

(Sources: The National Library of Medicine)