Why Schools and Students Underperform in Math and Reading
Author: Kathleen M. Cleaver
Published: 2 Jul 2026
Publication Type: Informative
Contents: Synopsis - Definition - Introduction - Main - Insights, Updates - Related Publications
Synopsis: This article offers a firsthand perspective from a longtime educator on why many students struggle with math and reading, tracing the constant swing between teaching philosophies that has defined American classrooms for decades. Written in plain and accessible language, it reviews the shift from Modern Math after Sputnik through New Math, Common Core, and the ongoing debate over computational fluency, alongside the parallel changes in reading instruction from the McGuffey Reader and phonics to whole language, balanced literacy, and today's Science of Reading. It also looks at how heavy reliance on standardized testing and rising screen time affect learning. Parents, teachers, and caregivers - including seniors supporting grandchildren and families of children with disabilities who may find long testing sessions especially draining - will find its clear overview useful for understanding the choices shaping education today.*
At a Glance
- 1 - One first-time test taker admitted that boredom and fatigue during the silent reading section led them to mark answers at random.
- 2 - The 1957 launch of Sputnik prompted a national push for rigorous math and science, increasing homework and academic demands on students.
- 3 - Research indicates that students who read for pleasure earn higher scores on both math and reading assessments.
- Topic Definition: Reading and Math Instruction
Reading and math instruction refers to the methods, curricula, and teaching philosophies schools use to develop literacy and numeracy in students. Over time these approaches have shifted repeatedly, in reading moving between phonics, look-say, whole language, balanced literacy, and the current Science of Reading, and in math alternating between rote calculation, conceptual problem solving, and blended models such as those tied to Common Core Standards. Effective instruction generally seeks a balance between foundational skills - such as computational fluency and decoding - and deeper understanding, including comprehension, critical thinking, and the ability to apply concepts in real situations.
Introduction
Math and Reading Instruction - Why Schools and Students are Underperforming
We rely too much on standardized testing to evaluate our schools, students, and teachers. This spring our schools had three days of testing followed by three days the following week. That is time lost in teaching and learning. Add to that the hour lost because the children had to complete the test online only to have the system crash! Then you have the age, and the interest level of some of the material. One young student, taking the tests for the first time, remarked that by the end of the silent reading portion of the test, they were tired and the passage was boring so they just marked any answer! While standardized testing is one tool to measure proficiency, it shouldn't be the only tool! Young children should not be subjected to the stress and boredom of hours of testing.
Main Content
Teachers Feel Overwhelmed by the Endless Cycle of New Educational Trends
I was in grade school when Russia launched Sputnik. It triggered a nationwide panic over American education. We were given new books titled Modern Math. "It shifted away from simple rote calculation to emphasize conceptual insight and problem solving." (AI Overview) The focus on social and emotional development was pushed aside in favor of a rigorous mathematics and science curriculum. Homework became an important part of the curriculum. The homework load on students increased as the demand for higher academic achievement increased. There was a demand to educate a workforce highly trained in mathematics and science. Since then there have been many shifts in mathematics instruction. In the 1960 New Math was rejected and instruction returned to traditional arithmetic. Calculators were introduced in to 1970's and 80's reducing the need for students to use slide rules or use pencil and paper for heavy calculations. Today, we have the New Math again based on the Common Core Standards where teaching math is a "balance of understanding mathematical concepts and developing a student's ability to apply math procedures." (Jen Gleason-senior educational consultant and associate director of service design for Teaching Matters)
The argument against this method of teaching is two-fold: It ignores computational fluency while teaching methods have shifted too far toward abstract conceptualization. (AI Overview)
Reading has also gone through the endless cycle of educational trends. In the early 1900's we had the McGuffey Reader and the phonics approach to reading. That gave way to the popular Dick and Jane series that eliminated phonics in favor of the look-say method of teaching reading. That method was pushed aside in favor of the whole language approach based on authentic literature and student choice.The goal was for children to become confident readers who understand what they read.
Whole Language was pushed aside for The Balanced Literacy Program. Students were presented with leveled readers with reading instruction based on the three cuing system- using context cues, sentence structure and pictures to identify unfamiliar words.
Phonics instruction was underemphasized. Today, reading instruction is based on the Science of Reading. Instruction includes phonics, vocabulary, fluency, comprehension and background knowledge.
Technology is changing the way students spend their free time. Studies show that students who read for pleasure score higher on math and reading assessments. With the proliferation of technology, students are choosing to spend their free time on their computers and phones browsing social media, playing games, and engaging in other digital entertainment instead of reading for pleasure. Using artificial intelligence has hindered a student's ability to develop critical thinking skills. (Morgan Stephens: "Fact Check Team", June 18, 2026) This has led to the debate about how technology should be used for classroom instruction.
Conclusion
These are just three but very fixable factors affecting a student's progress in math and reading. Too often, we embrace new methods of teaching over old methods that have worked. "Today's challenge is not choosing sides but integrating what we know works." (Aligned- "A Brief History of Literacy Instruction In America" June 18, 2026)
Insights, Analysis, and Developments
Editorial Note: The value of this piece lies less in prescribing a single fix than in reminding readers that education has long moved in cycles, discarding proven approaches in the rush toward whatever comes next. Its central point - that lasting progress comes from integrating what works rather than choosing sides - deserves attention from anyone who cares about how children learn to think, calculate, and read. For families, educators, and older readers who remember earlier chapters of this same story, it serves as both a history lesson and a practical call to weigh new trends against hard-won experience.*
Author Credentials: Kathleen M. Cleaver holds a Bachelor’s degree in elementary education and the education of children whose primary disability is a visual impairment (TVI). During her thirty-year career as a teacher, Kathleen received the Penn-Del AER Elinor Long Award and the AER Membership Award for her service and contributions to the education of children with visual impairments. She also received the Elizabeth Nolan O’Donnell Achievement Award for years of dedicated service to St. Lucy Day School for Children with Visual Impairments. Explore Kathleen's complete biography for comprehensive insights into her background, expertise, and accomplishments.
* Editorial additions by Ian C. Langtree.