What Happens When College Students Can’t Read?
A recent Fortune report highlights a troubling trend: some college professors say students are arriving on campus struggling to read and understand even basic written material.
Professors report that they can no longer assume students will complete assigned reading independently. Some read passages aloud and break them down sentence by sentence.
Why? Fortune points to several factors, including short-form video, skimming habits shaped by standardized testing, and AI tools that let students summarize assignments without actually reading them.
The problem is bigger than reading books.
Students need to concentrate, understand complex ideas, follow an argument, and think independently about what they read. Those skills matter in college—and eventually in the workplace.
For parents, the lesson is simple: Don't wait until college to discover that your child struggles with sustained reading.
Encourage regular reading, ask your child to explain what they read, and make sure AI and summaries supplement reading rather than replace it.
Reading isn't just an academic skill. It's the gateway to learning.
Original Article
Fortune, “Gen Zers are arriving to college unable to even read a sentence,” June 7, 2026.
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