CONNECTICUT — About 80% of educators in a Connecticut Education Association survey said getting students to finish a chapter book is harder than five years ago, NBC Connecticut reported October 14.
The survey included 113 educators, mostly middle- and high-school teachers. Their responses describe classroom experiences, not a statewide test of student reading ability.
Teachers cited attention spans, fatigue and social-media use as possible contributors. Those responses do not establish that technology caused the difficulties.
Terryville High School English teacher Kate Avcollie told NBC Connecticut that blaming screens alone oversimplifies the issue; digital tools can also help students read.
About 90% of respondents still assign three to four chapter books, the station reported. Avcollie described shorter reading sections, comprehension time and classroom discussion as ways to build stamina. CEA plans another survey focused on elementary educators.
The original survey instrument and sampling methodology were not available in the sources reviewed.