Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Diana Ha.
Editor, Writer, Literacy Advocate, and College Prep Specialist.
🔑 Episode Highlights 📚 Diana’s Background
- Daughter of South Korean immigrants, raised in NYC.
- Attended Stuyvesant High School and earned a linguistics degree from the University of Pennsylvania.
- Taught in both urban and suburban school districts, including gifted and special education (IEPs).
- Later moved to California, tutoring students and professionals in English and writing.
📱 The Literacy Crisis
- Warns of a “language and literacy epidemic” among youth raised on smartphones.
- Observes:
- Inability to write complete sentences.
- Poor vocabulary (even among affluent students).
- Short attention spans and difficulty with long-form reading.
📖 The Power of Reading
- Advocates for deep, immersive reading—especially physical books.
- Recommends reading widely: newspapers, essays, biographies, and well-written fiction.
- Encourages parents to read to children from the womb and model reading habits.
🎧 Audiobooks & Accessibility
- Supports audiobooks for students with dyslexia or visual impairments.
- Emphasizes that any form of reading—print, audio, Braille—can imprint language and build cognitive strength.
🧠 Practical Advice for Parents & Students
- Read 20–30 minutes daily.
- Subscribe to publications like The New York Times or The Atlantic.
- Choose books that align with personal interests or career goals.
- Re-read and study one book deeply, as modeled by NYU professor Scott Galloway.
🧠 The Bigger Picture
- Warns of a future where technology replaces critical thinking.
- Notes that even elite colleges are seeing students struggle with basic writing.
- Calls for a cultural shift back to intellectual development through reading.
🌐 Connect with Diana Ha
- Website: DianaHa.com (as referenced in the transcript)
- Hosts webinars and literacy seminars
#SHMS #STRAW #BEST
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