I remember "The Reading Lesson" by Stephen L Burns, published in Analog Science Fiction and Fact, in which there was a difference in the manner of reading. Some people read and retained, appreciating the word, and others were basically "Barking at Print," saying the words without any true internalisation or understanding.<p>I see that today with some young people, allegedly able to read, functionally "literate," but listening to them read out loud they are "barking at print," and when quizzed have no understanding of what they have just read.<p>It's not new, but it makes me wonder how we can help people to learn to read better.<p>The same goes to a greater or lesser extent for math.
<i>he considered buying a collection of "one-minute bedtime stories"</i><p>I realized I had a problem when I would not even have the patience to listen to an entire song on my MP3, always flicking through tracks after 30 seconds at most.<p>To counter this, I picked up a thick and difficult book to read in the evenings (Infinite Jest), and now own a collection of the Oxford University Press "A Very Short Introduction" series to read on public transport. I highly recommend these snippets of knowledge, perfect pocket size and always well written.