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The Knowledge Deficit: Closing the Shocking Education Gap for American Children Paperback – April 1, 2007

4.6 out of 5 stars 99 ratings
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The Knowledge Deficit illuminates the real issue in education today -- without an effective curriculum, American students are losing the global education race. In this persuasive book, the esteemed education critic, activist, and best-selling author E.D. Hirsch, Jr., shows that although schools are teaching the mechanics of reading, they fail to convey the knowledge needed for the more complex and essential skill of reading comprehension. Hirsch corrects popular misconceptions about hot issues in education, such as standardized testing, and takes to task educators' claims that they are powerless to overcome class differences. Ultimately, this essential book gives parents and teachers specific tools for enhancing children's abilities to fully understand what they read.

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  1. Print length
    192 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    April 1, 2007
  4. Dimensions
    5.7 x 0.48 x 8.6 inches
  5. ISBN-10
    0618872256
  6. ISBN-13
    978-0618872251
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"An important message, eloquently expressed." --Steven Pinker, Johnstone Family Professor of Psychology, Harvard University, and author of The Language Instinct and How the Mind Works

"If we did what E.D. Hirsch said, and made sure that all students, regardless of race, income, or neighborhood, were exposed to a rich, challenging, sequenced curriculum in important subjects, schools could make a much bigger difference than they already do." --Ed McElroy, president, American Federation of Teachers

"[Hirsch] wants to reverse the current emphasis on reading as a mechanical process and replace it with content-rich curriculum that will turn all children into knowledgeable readers. It's a worthy goal for our schools in an increasingly competitive globalized world." New York Post

"On many fronts, Hirsch's book challenges the conventional educational wisdown. Parents ought to check it out." --Rocky Mountain News

"[A] powerful argument . . . [Hirsch's] well-reasoned, common-sense proposals address a vital issue, and his book provides a valuable addition to the debate on public policy in education." --Richmond Times-Dispatch —

About the Author

E.D. Hirsch, Jr. is the Linden Kent Memorial Professor of English at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, and the author of Cultural Literacy, The First Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, and The Core Knowledge Series. Dr. Hirsch is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and has been a senior fellow of the National Endowment for the Humanities. He is president of the Core Knowledge Foundation, a nonprofit organization devoted to educational reform.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Harvest
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 1, 2007
  • Edition ‏ : ‎ Reprint
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 192 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0618872256
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0618872251
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 7.2 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.7 x 0.48 x 8.6 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 out of 5 stars 99 ratings

About the author

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E. D. Hirsch

E. D. Hirsch

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E. D. Hirsch, Jr. is the founder of the Core Knowledge Foundation and professor emeritus of education and humanities at the University of Virginia. He is the author of several acclaimed books on education issues including the best-seller Cultural Literacy. With his subsequent books The Schools We Need and Why We Don’t Have Them, The Knowledge Deficit, and The Making of Americans, Dr. Hirsch solidified his reputation as one of the most influential education reformers of our time.

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4.6 out of 5 stars
99 global ratings

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Customers find the book's educational content positive, with one noting how common knowledge can bond people from diverse backgrounds. They also appreciate its readability, with one customer describing it as a must-read.

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EducationReadability
3 customers mention "Education"3 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the educational content of the book, with one noting its well-balanced approach and another highlighting how common knowledge can bond people from diverse backgrounds.

"...concept of core knowledge sets standards that are vital to a well balanced education...." Read more

"This book should be required reading for every teacher, parent, or advocate for children." Read more

"Good Explanation of The Educational Situation" Read more

3 customers mention "Readability"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the book readable, with one mentioning that the first chapter was great.

"...That being said... The first chapter was great!..." Read more

"A must read for those who care about developments in education . . . and the future of American society," Read more

"great book on what is wrong with the American Education system...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Bob Lee
    5.0 out of 5 stars Clear headed analysis of what it takes to read well
    Reviewed in the United States on November 5, 2012
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Hirsch lays out a lot of research to build his claim that American reading skills suffer, especially at the low end, because local control of the curriculum is tantamount to no control.
    Mechanical reading skills and reading strategies, while necessary at times, do not advance the ball when it comes developing a deep understanding of complex content. We need to think seriously about what the common cannon of understanding should be in each grade so students aren't reading random unrelated content that leaves many out in the cold.
    The metaphor I liked compared choosing a systematic series of K-12 reading topics to deciding whether to drive on the right, or left side, of the road. Either traffic system works, but each country has to choose one or the other so its citizens know how to drive with each other on busy streets. Likewise we have to decide which grade to teach the Mayflower. It doesn't matter if it's 1st grade, 2nd grade or 8th grade it can be taught well at every grade. But it shouldn't be taught by one teacher in 1st the next in 2nd and so forth boring the students who have read about it before and displacing content that they haven't encountered. The lack of a system hurts mobile students from low SES backgrounds the most, Hirsch says, leaving them so they can't understand what their fellow citizens are writing or saying.
    7 people found this helpful
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  • Robert McClerren
    5.0 out of 5 stars Educators take heed
    Reviewed in the United States on February 14, 2010
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    This is the type of information students training to be teachers should be getting. The Liberal Arts philosophy of education makes so much sense and is sorely needed in public schools today.

    Forget about political correctness. What is the greater value of an education? Education is much more than just preparing someone to get a job. It is about becoming a well rounded person.

    Today's emphasis on multiculturalism is reaction to years of indoctrination in a system that devalues the individual. The failure of public education is: compromising knowledge for the sake of political correctness. This is the "knowledge deficit."

    The concept of core knowledge sets standards that are vital to a well balanced education. Commonality of knowledge bonds individuals from diverse backgrounds. Instead of having multiple cultures vying for attention, Core Knowledge enables individuals from different backgrounds to learn the universal language of knowledge. Having a common understanding brings people together; not "celebrating their differences." After experiencing the mutual benefit of "Core Knowledge" individuals can better appreciate other cultures and nurture their natural curiosity about the world around them. This is truly the foundation for mutual respect among people and lifelong learning.
    10 people found this helpful
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  • Catherine Jean Rose
    5.0 out of 5 stars A close look at what's missing in schools today.
    Reviewed in the United States on October 23, 2007
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    Good compliments to this work are Mortimer Adler's "How to Read a Book" and Michael Pressley's "Reading Instruction that Works". I learned about syllogism in Hirsch's text. Man is mortal, Socrates is a man, therefore Socrates is mortal. Isn't it true then that all proceeds from the sale of this book benefit Hirsch? He states on the jacket all proceeds from the sale of this book go directly to the Core Knowledge Foundation (of which he is founder/president). If all proceeds benefit the Core Knowledge Foundation and E.D. Hirsch is the Core Knowledge founder, isn't he REALLY telling us that all proceeds benefit E.D. Hirsch? Maybe I learned a little too much from his book.
    One person found this helpful
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  • candace tannous
    4.0 out of 5 stars The Knowledge Deficit
    Reviewed in the United States on August 2, 2013
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    There is a place for "knowledge" in education. How about that! Hirsch effectively argues that reading comprehension would improve for kids today if they had more background knowledge, more general knowledge that previous generations seemed to gather naturally. Why the huge deficit in basic info? It's complicated. Hirsch's ideas are winning the argument and have caused the current trend toward placing more nonfiction in curricula.
    4 people found this helpful
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  • A.H.
    5.0 out of 5 stars There is definitely a knowledge deficit
    Reviewed in the United States on October 7, 2017
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    To respond to tests and deal with texts, students need instant recall of many facts. The brain needs them to synthesize conclusions, inferences, critical thinking. But facts are out of fashion, so students do not recall enough or recall it too slowly. So the author is right. Trouble is that people who insist on these neurocognitive basics are branded as right wing. The opposite should be happening.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Faithfulgirl
    3.0 out of 5 stars I'm still not sure how this gap is going to be closed!
    Reviewed in the United States on February 19, 2011
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    First of all, it's important for you to know that I had to read this for a class. That being said...

    The first chapter was great! It really grabbed my attention and I thought "Wow, for an educational book, this one is going to be pretty amazing!". That was short lived unfortunately. The beginning of each subsequent chapter grabbed me but after the first paragraph, the information became repetitive. Towards the end, the last few chapters were repetitive on the previous ones.

    There were others in my class who thought this book was fantastic. I just didn't feel it like they did. I *wanted* to like this book but I don't do repetition well (except for in writing this review about how repetitious this book is!)

    I'm disappointed that I still have a knowledge gap when it comes to closing education gaps in American Children. I believe my professor might as well.
    5 people found this helpful
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  • Appinhighlander
    5.0 out of 5 stars Knowledge Is Power
    Reviewed in the United States on March 18, 2018
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    A must read for those who care about developments in education . . . and the future of American society,
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Hugh C. Fowler
    5.0 out of 5 stars Education panacea
    Reviewed in the United States on January 13, 2011
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    If all the school board members in the country read this book and acted upon what they learned (by installing the Core Knowledge Curriculum), our education problems would disappear in six years.
    4 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • B M ROGERS
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 12, 2013
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    Thought provoking and more liberal than I was expecting. I like the principle of ensuring kids have a broad exposure to a wide range of cultural and scientific vocabulary and ideas. Every primary (and secondary) teacher should read.
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  • Salustiano Martín González
    5.0 out of 5 stars Preciso, claro y estimulante
    Reviewed in Spain on March 13, 2016
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    Desmonta la ideología "naturalista" en pedagogía, tan dañina en la educación pública, especialmente para los alumnos de las clases populares. Asimismo, muestra el engranaje destructivo que opera en el sistema educativo estadounidense y cuáles han de ser las acciones que hay que llevar acabo para acabar con el desastre que produce.
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  • Nancy
    5.0 out of 5 stars A great read for any parent who has trouble understanding why ...
    Reviewed in Canada on November 14, 2014
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Informative and thought provoking. A great read for any parent who has trouble understanding why their children are not achieving the desired/promised outcomes of the process-based vs knowledge-based education that is prevalent in schools today.
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  • Sarah Mintey
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 26, 2014
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Excellent product which was quickly dispatched.
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  • Cliente Amazon
    5.0 out of 5 stars Imprescindible.
    Reviewed in Spain on June 5, 2016
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Libro muy interesante sobre la importancia que tiene el conocimiento en la educación y el cómo las teorías progresistas han llevado a importantes lagunas en el conocimiento de las nuevas generaciones.
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