The Knowledge Deficit Author:E. D. Hirsch Perhaps our most insightful thinker on what schools teach, E. D. Hirsch, Jr., shows why American studentsbeginning with a fourth-grade slumpperform less well than students in other industrialized countries. Drawing on classroom observation, the history of ideas, and current scientific understanding of the patterns of intellectual growth, Hirs... more »ch builds the case that our schools have indeed made progress in teaching the mechanics of reading. But, as he brilliantly shows, they fail virtually all American childrenpoor and middle class, in public and private schoolsbecause they do not convey the more complex and essential content needed for reading comprehension. Hirsch powerfully reasons that literacy depends less on formal reading "skills" and more on exposure to rich knowledge. It's a compelling argument that - gives parents specific tools for enhancing their child's ability to read with comprehension - shows how No-Child-Left-Behind tests and SATs are measuring certain kinds of knowledgeknowledge that is not being taught in our schools - maps out how American schools can become a strong antidote to poverty and to our frustrating race-based achievement gap, and thus fulfill our democratic ideal for the schools and for our children« less