Kids can’t read anymore. Does it matter? (with author Jason Reynolds)
NO SUCH THING
iHeartPodcasts and Kaleidoscope
4.6 • 609 Ratings
🗓️ 15 April 2026
⏱️ 62 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Are we in the midst of a reading crisis? News outlets are constantly reporting on the death of reading. School test scores by measures like the “Nation’s Report Card” say math and literacy levels are down to their lowest rates since the early 1990s. Schools aren’t even assigning full books in class anymore. We talk to children’s book author Jason Reynolds, an active teacher in Chicago public schools, and a professor who’s looked into the actual research and says the literacy crisis doesn’t even exist.
Our guests this week are author Jason Reynolds (buy his new book Soundtrack here), professor Paul Thomas, and teacher Kelsey Clodfelter.
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If you liked this episode, check out: Do audiobooks count as reading? and Should schools ban phones?
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | I'm Annie. I'm Noah. |
| 0:12.6 | And this is no such thing, this show where we settle our dumb arguments and yours by actually doing the research. |
| 0:19.3 | In this episode, kids aren't reading anymore. |
| 0:22.3 | Who cares? |
| 0:25.4 | There's no such thing. |
| 0:27.2 | No such thing. |
| 0:30.2 | No such thing. |
| 0:33.2 | No such thing. |
| 0:34.0 | No such thing. |
| 0:36.1 | No such thing. This is an I-hart, thank. No, touch, thank. |
| 0:39.7 | This is an I-Heart podcast. |
| 0:42.7 | Guaranteed human. |
| 0:44.5 | No gloss, no filter. |
| 0:47.6 | Just stories. |
| 0:49.3 | Spoken without fear. |
| 0:51.1 | A person who is not generous can not be an artist. |
| 0:53.9 | The world will be at peace only when it is ruled by poets and philosophers. |
| 0:58.8 | Listen to my weekly podcast, the Pooja Abhawad show and the IHeart Radio app, |
| 1:03.1 | Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. |
| 1:07.6 | Come for the honesty. |
| 1:09.4 | Stay for the honesty. Stay for the fire. |
| 1:15.6 | So, as we know, there have been many stories, reports about the death of reading. |
... |
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