Are kids not reading like they used to? A Minnesota English teacher weighs in

Minnesota legislators have been considering a law that would prohibit cell phones in elementary and middle schools and restrict them in high schools. Part of that push comes from educators who are concerned that student attention span is negatively affected by chronic smartphone use.

In many English classrooms across the U.S., assignments to read full-length novels are becoming less common, according to the National Council of Teachers of English. It’s a result of the perception that students have a shorter attention span and less interest in reading the assigned novels.

MPR News host Nina Moini talked with one educator grappling with all this. Mady Vukson teaches English language arts and creative writing at Humboldt High School in St. Paul.

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.

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