According to The Washington Post, one of the unintended consequences of high-stakes testing as well as the push for AP classes is that students no longer have time for pleasure reading! I love nothing more than spending an afternoon with a book and I hate to think that kids give it up at such a young age. My middle school had an Accelerated Reader program that included 25 minutes of silent reading four times a week with students picking their own books. It was wonderful and I think helped kids see how reading could be just relaxing and fun. If you have kids, take them to the library this afternoon!
Odds Stacked Against Pleasure Reading