21% (possibly as high as 28%) of the US population are functionally illiterate (2024). And over 50% read at a 6th grade level. I think the problem may be a little deeper than phonics.

For grins and giggles, the first survey done in 1870 reported a US illiteracy rate of 20%*. So, after 150 years of progress, research and education systems analysis, we've lost a percentage point to a period just after the civil war and without any real schools to speak of. /slight-hyperbole

When folks talk about inherent or systemic inequality, this is one of the datums that supports their assertion.

In the Chicago School District, 69% of students read below proficiency standards. In 2024, only 23% of Juniors met those standards. The graduation rates have improved over the last ten years, from 77% to 84% in 2024.*

Scarsdale, a super wealthy NY town with one of the best school systems in the country, boasts a 99% graduation rate and a high school reading proficiency of 99%, as well.*

They're both generationally, deep-blue Democrat cities.

Raise your hand if you can spot the underlying causation.

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*Although the data analysis may vary from study to study, the underlying trends remain unchanged. Also, while Scarsdale's performance is at the top, Chicago's is middle of the road.

I like the second video. I think we all agree on the importance of phonics in reading instruction.

Taking both videos at face value, it would appear that whole language is different from critical literacy. At least, the descriptions in the videos are totally different. The chronology is also different. The first video suggests that we are still in the grip of critical literacy right now (with a little nod to the fact that phonics is sometimes also included). The second video has the pendulum already swinging back. Here is a third chronology that suggests that swing was already starting to happen in the 1990s, when the first video claims that critical literacy achieved total dominance. https://phoneme-graphememapping.com/reading-instruction-a-historical-timeline/.

Since I didn't teach elementary school, I can't bear firsthand witness to how reading was being taught in my district. I will say that I didn't see a drop at the high school level, as one might expect if the district had abandoned phonics. But as I've mentioned, the system is pretty decentralized in some ways. Not all schools march to the beat of the same drum.

That's good news! Cherished traditions should be preserved if at all possible.

It found a buyer.  Hopefully he'll be a good custodian of it.

In a move to preserve an important piece of American heritage, the historic Farmers? Almanac has been acquired under new ownership, saving the 208-year-old publication from permanent closure and ensuring the continuation of one of America?s longest-running traditions.

https://www.farmersalmanac.com/farmers-almanac-saved-under-new-ownership-208-year-tradition-continues

I have no clue what phonics are.

Our parents taught us kids to enjoy learning. They bought us books. They took us to the public library. They told us what key words were across multiple languages. Key words like "book" and "library," actually.

The public school system was good; we were in a rich county and parents themselves were well-educated. Obviously, it makes a difference. But love of learning comes first.