[jonfw]

There are two causes to consider. The failure of society to provide equal opportunities to all, and the failure of individuals to capitalize on what opportunities they have available.

The trouble with your criticism is that you are focusing entirely on society’s failures, when a more complete analysis would consider what can be done on either side.

[robocat]

> and the failure of individuals to capitalize on what opportunities they have available

Yeah, we could blame the 5 year olds for their lack of grit and determination to create their foundation for their reading skills. Alternatively, we can look at what other societies achieve, and try to improve our own.

Also you are completely ignoring that plenty of people have functional difficulties learning to read and write. Anecdotally I would say over 10% based on my dyslexic or illiterate friends and family, some of which had professional focused help beyond what schooling provides. I agree with you that the education system has its faults, and some people “fail to capitalise opportunities”. However there is a large segment of people that are motivated, work hard, get good educational opportunities, and yet still struggle to read and write. There are people with denial or bullshit reasons too, but too many of my friends and family have symptoms that I have good reasons to believe they are not making anything up.

My 10% figure ignores functional meta-level difficulties for lacking motivation. Perhaps born without grit and determination; perhaps never taught it; perhaps other home problems trump it.

[jonfw]

We shouldn’t blame 5 year olds, sure, but their parents? Fair game IMO.

This is not to say that society is without blame, but I feel that personal responsibility is increasingly left out of the public discourse

[SaltyGoodness]

Sure, everyone ought to do what they can to better themselves. That's for another comment, because the question was, what is it about America that has literacy skills at such a shameful level.

It's not Brad's fault that he can't read good. It's not Chad's fault that he hasn't picked up a book. These hypothetical kids are 6, 7, 8 years old.

That's on us, and our willingness to allow their home lives to be miserable rather than pay for mental health supports and education as a society.

[jonfw]

Parents should be putting books into these kids hands. Society can not replace the role of a parent.

We can and should help the parents, and the first step is assessing the root of the problem, and sometimes that looks a lot more like laying blame than some folks are willing to do