Learning to read has been reduced to a process of mastering a series of narrow, specific, hierarchical skills. Where armed-forces recruits learn the components of a rifle or the intricacies of close order drill by the numbers, recruits to reading learn its mechanics sound by sound and word by word.

Summary

This quote emphasizes how the process of learning to read has become overly focused on mastering isolated skills. It compares the way armed-forces recruits are taught specific components of a rifle or drill sequences to the way reading is taught, where learners are expected to grasp the mechanics of reading by focusing on individual sounds and words. The quote suggests that reading instruction has become fragmented and detached from a more holistic understanding and appreciation of language, potentially hindering the development of broader reading abilities and comprehension skills.

Topics