Reading Crisis? How AI Tools Like ChatGPT Are Changing Student Engagement

Remember when your phone’s biggest flex was flipping open with a satisfying snap? That was barely a decade ago. Fast forward to now, and we’ve got AI writing our emails, planning our meals, and even helping kids with their math homework before we can say “show your work.” Technology hasn’t just inched forward; it’s done a flying leap, and education is hanging on for dear life.

Artificial intelligence isn’t just a trend. It’s rewiring how we live, work, and learn. Kids are growing up with digital tutors, personalized learning platforms, and chatbots who know more Shakespeare than your 10th-grade English teacher ever wanted to. So here’s the big question: in this whirlwind of innovation, what happens to reading? Not just sounding out words, but really reading. The kind that builds empathy, critical thinking, and a halfway decent attention span. Will AI make us better readers, or will reading quietly shuffle off like cursive writing and VHS tapes?

Let’s dig in.

The Decline in Student Reading Comprehension

Let’s not sugarcoat it: reading comprehension has taken a hit. According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (a.k.a. the Nation’s Report Card), scores for 13-year-olds in reading dropped to their lowest levels in decades during the pandemic. That’s not a gentle slip. That’s a tumble down the academic staircase with your backpack flying open and your highlighter rolling into the hallway.

COVID-19 didn’t just disrupt school schedules. It upended the whole learning ecosystem. Kids lost access to in-person instruction, classroom discussions, and one-on-one help that’s hard to replicate over glitchy Zoom calls. And while schools tried their best with online learning, let’s face it, no one reads the classics with full enthusiasm when there’s a Minecraft tab open.

Will AI Improve or Hurt Reading?

Now that reading is already in a fragile state, here comes AI strutting into classrooms like the new kid with all the answers. Will it help students actually understand what they’re reading? Or will it become another crutch, offering quick summaries and “TLDRs” that let kids skip the hard work of thinking deeply?

AI could become the ultimate tool, or the ultimate excuse. It all depends on how we use it. Because if comprehension is already tanking, handing students a magic machine that can do the reading for them might just pour rocket fuel on the problem.

How AI Tools Like ChatGPT Are Changing Student Engagement with Reading

Millions of students are already using tools like ChatGPT to draft essays, do their homework, and answer reading comprehension questions faster than you can say “due at midnight.” And while there’s nothing wrong with a little help, we’re starting to see a big shift in how students engage with reading and writing. Spoiler: many aren’t engaging at all.

This matters. A lot. Because your ability to write well is directly tied to your ability to read well, it’s not just common sense. It’s backed by research. One study found a significant, positive correlation between reading comprehension and writing ability. Translation? If you struggle to understand what you read, it’s going to show up when you try to write.

Here’s the twist: AI is incredible at producing coherent text. But if students outsource too much of their thinking to it, they miss the essential practice that builds those mental muscles. Reading comprehension isn’t a plug-and-play feature. It grows through wrestling with meaning, figuring out structure, and making connections, which is exactly what gets skipped when a bot writes your book report.

How AI Might Be Worsening the Reading Comprehension Crisis

Now picture this: a student assigned Frankenstein. Instead of cracking open the book, they ask an AI to summarize it. In five seconds flat, they’ve got the plot, the themes, and even a character analysis that sounds smarter than anything they could write themselves. Efficient? Absolutely. But educational? Not exactly.

AI is making it dangerously easy to skip the hard stuff. Here’s how:

• AI audiobooks and summaries are spoon-feeding information

Why wade through a dense, beautifully written novel when AI can just whisper the highlights into your AirPods while you scroll TikTok? When students stop reading the actual text, they lose the nuance, tone, and complexity that only full engagement can deliver.

• AI tutors are replacing human feedback.

AI can spit out answers and explanations, but it can’t read the subtext in a confused glance or tailor feedback to a student’s emotional response. Human teachers catch those cues. AI just moves on to the next prompt.

• We’re losing close reading, deep focus, and long-form thought

Reading comprehension is like a mental gym;, sitting with a challenging passage, making inferences, and following complex arguments are all part of the workout. But when AI makes everything quick and clickable, students never build that stamina. The result? A generation better at scanning than understanding.

In short, we’re trading reflection for convenience. And while AI might help with productivity, it’s not always helping with depth. Reading isn’t just about getting the gist. It’s about learning to think—and that takes time, patience, and yes, actual reading.

So, Is Artificial Intelligence Ruining Education?

Nope. 

AI isn’t the villain in this story; it’s just a really powerful tool. The problem isn’t that it exists. The problem is how we use it. A hammer can build a house or break a window. Same with AI. If we treat it like a shortcut, we lose the muscle that comes from doing the hard work ourselves. But if we use it to support, not replace, deep thinking and reading, then we’ve got something truly game-changing.

Blame the user, not the tool.

How To Use AI to Boost Reading Comprehension

Okay, so we’ve dragged AI a bit. But it’s not all doom and digital decay. Used the right way, AI can actually improve how students read, think, and learn. It’s not about banning the bots. It’s about setting them up as helpful sidekicks, not sneaky stand-ins.

Here’s how students and teachers can use AI without letting it do all the thinking:

• Use AI to define unfamiliar words, not the whole paragraph

Stuck on a tricky sentence? Have AI explain that one part. Don’t let it rewrite the whole passage. Keep up the challenge, and get a little support.

• Ask AI questions after reading, not before

Instead of summarizing a text first, try reading it yourself. Then use AI to quiz you, test your understanding, or dive deeper into themes you didn’t catch the first time.

• Turn AI into a conversation partner, not a ghostwriter

Writing about a book? Use AI to brainstorm ideas or organize your thoughts, but don’t let it write your essay. Think of it as the friend who helps you outline, not the one who hands you a finished paper.

• Teachers: Use AI to personalize feedback

Teachers can save time by using AI to give general grammar tips or reading suggestions, so they can spend more time focusing on what really matters, like understanding, analysis, and individual student growth.

• Practice close reading with AI annotations.

Upload a passage and ask AI to highlight figurative language, rhetorical devices, or literary techniques. Then go back and try it yourself. Compare notes. That’s where the learning happens.

Used wisely, AI can guide, encourage, and challenge students. It can light the path, but students still have to walk.

AI in Education: A Tool, Not a Replacement for Deep Learning

Technology’s not slowing down. AI is only getting smarter, faster, and more woven into our daily lives, whether we’re ready or not. But when it comes to reading and learning, there’s no substitute for the slow, steady work of understanding. AI can be a brilliant helper, but it shouldn’t be the main event.

Reading is more than decoding words. It’s about building empathy, sharpening focus, and learning how to think for yourself. If we start treating AI like the CliffsNotes of life, we risk raising students who know the gist but miss the meaning.

So don’t cancel your ChatGPT subscription just yet. Keep it. Use it. But don’t forget to close the laptop, open the book, and do the reading. Your brain will thank you.

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