Watch this week’s conversation above or listen/download the audio-only below.
The statistics are sobering: About 130 million U.S. adults read below a sixth-grade level; approximately 45 million U.S. adults are functionally illiterate, reading below a fifth-grade level; and 21% of U.S. adults are classified as functionally illiterate, unable to complete basic reading tasks, according to the OECD.
Matt Bardin, a former New York City public school teacher who transitioned into ed-tech with Zinc Learning Labs, has developed a platform aimed at addressing America’s reading crisis. He argues that teachers shouldn’t try to compete with TikTok’s dopamine hits, but instead offer the deeper satisfaction of meaningful reading experiences.
His platform is currently offering free student licenses to teachers who complete training modules, as part of a mission to transform reading culture in American schools.
In the snippet below, Bardin talks about the state of reading in the United States:
In this next snippet, Bardin talks about how teachers shouldn’t try to compete with TikTok but to engage them in different ways.
And in this final clip, Bardin discusses reaching peak dopamine levels and what comes next for education:
