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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