I love this picture of Norah reading out loud to these younger students. It may not seem like a big deal at first, but today there is a tremendous loss of out loud reading and the inability of children to pay attention to what they have heard. They have been so influenced by virtual media, sound bites, and YouTube shorts that their ability to concentrate has been significantly diminished as has their comprehension.  I discovered that today when I read to my 5th and 6th Graders from a biography of a new saint, Carlo Acutis, and I started to ask them questions 5-minutes into the reading.  The vast majority could not tell me what I had just read.  This inability to pay attention and to comprehend what they have heard is a big problem for our children. Gone are the days for when families would sit around and read to each other works of fiction, poetry or Sacred Scripture. It has been replaced by isolated individuals on their phones or iPads watching "shorts" and going quickly from one shallow bit of entertainment to another.  A part of our humanity has been lost.  The question is: Can it ever be recovered?  Read to your children. And then ask them if they understood what you have read. Thank you for donating to Good Shepherd Catholic School.  If you haven't made a donation yet, please do so and help us teach children reading and comprehension.

Written By: Father Lance W. Harlow

Date Published: October 2, 2025

Photo Credit: Ginger Montminy