Remember when I was bitching about the new common core standards, how schools plan to drop literature in favor of technical writing? In "Why I Support The Common Core Standards"  Karen Prior makes an excellent argument for the new core standards, based on the fact that kids are graduating from high school without being proficient readers. Apparently many kids have been skating along on discussions of literature based on their feelings rather than the actual text.

When we first started homeschooling my mother in law scoffed at the idea my son was reading above grade level. "Yes, but comprehension is the key. It (his reading) doesn't mean anything without comprehension." We were talking, at the time, about a five year old. So I replied that no one reads for pleasure what they don't understand at least pretty well. Now that my son is a teenager I would add that no one reads at their current reading level forever. Reading begets better reading which begets interest in more complex reading. At least, that's how its worked at our house.

Homeschoolers read for fun. There is no better way to improve reading skills.