Banning Books Stifles Children’s Interest in Reading

Last year saw a record 4,240 book titles challenged, as reported by the American Library Association. This trend not only restricts critical thinking but may also hinder students’ reading development. Yong Yu, a literacy professor at SUNY Plattsburgh, emphasizes that to improve reading skills, children need access to books for practice. Despite decades of reading assessments by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), no average scores have been deemed “proficient.” In 2022, a third of fourth graders failed to meet even the “basic” benchmark. Yu argues that these scores may not accurately reflect literacy, as the tests focus primarily on comprehension rather than other vital aspects of reading.