Nearly every standardized test includes a reading component. On the typical test, students are asked to read a small selection or excerpt and then answer a short series of multiple choice questions about the material. On the surface, this methodology makes sense: By having students read a selection and answer questions about it, we can determine their reading comprehension abilities in order to measure improvement.

But what if this method is killing the art of reading?

In a recent New York Times article, two parents argue that our standardized testing methods are disastrous to students. Their anger with standardized testing came on New Year’s Eve when they and some friends of theirs decided to take the practice English test that their son had been assigned for homework. Since 3 of the 4 parents were PhDs, they were pretty confident that they’d be able to pass the test with flying colors. Instead, they never made it past the first question: Continue reading →