The Crisis of Literacy and the Courage to Teach

A report from the National Endowment for the Arts, among much other such research, reveals that literacy is in serious decline in America. Ramifications of this decline extend beyond English and language departments to affect all other disciplines, ultimately raising the question of how a democracy can function when its citizens abandon the written word. There are ways, David Rothman says, for academics to counteract this trend, venturing outside the walls to foster the literacy of younger children. Those who take on such challenges may find that departmental politics recede somewhat, and they may rediscover faith in the possibilities of education-and even in themselves

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