JoeTweetster

Writes epic fantasy adventures, weaves bromance, Slavic mythology, Paganini's music where time travel, twisted history and secret societies collide

[JoeTweetster @JoeTweetster]

📊 4th grade reading scores: 220→215 between 2019-2024 (NAEP 2024)

5-point decline pushed thousands more students below proficiency threshold (238/500).

Note: UK research shows author visits yield 2X proficiency rate. U.S. doesn't track this intervention.

Week 13 of 64.

[JoeTweetster @JoeTweetster]

📊 Reading scores declined to 1990s levels—30+ years ERASED (NAEP 2024)

Students today score like 1992. Three decades of reforms: gone.

Note: UK research shows author visits boost reading enjoyment 49%. U.S. doesn't track this intervention.

Week 12 of 64.

#LiteracyCrisis

[JoeTweetster @JoeTweetster]

📊 2024 = LOWEST 12th grade reading scores EVER in NAEP's 32-year history

Only 35% college-ready. Worst generation on record.
Note: UK research shows author visits boost confidence 47%. U.S. doesn't track this intervention.

Week 11 of 64.

#LiteracyCrisis #EducationData

[JoeTweetster @JoeTweetster]

📊 Average 8th grader: 258 out of 500 points (NAEP 2024)

Gained 43 points since 4th grade, but 70% still can't read complex texts or analyze author's purpose.

Author visits particularly impact reluctant and struggling readers: students who need it most.

Week 10 of 64.

[JoeTweetster @JoeTweetster]

📊 Average 4th grader: 215 out of 500 points on national reading tests (NAEP 2024)
Proficiency = 238 points. Average student falls 23 points SHORT.
69% can't understand grade-level texts.
Students with author visits: 2X proficiency rate (30.8% vs 16.5%)
Week 9 of 64.

[JoeTweetster @JoeTweetster]

📊 Only 35% of 12th graders ready for college reading (NAEP 2024)

65% of graduates need remedial reading courses.

Author visits create lasting positive associations with reading—early intervention prevents later remediation.

Week 8 of 64.

#LiteracyCrisis #EducationData

[JoeTweetster @JoeTweetster]

📊 Only 30% of 8th graders read proficiently (down from 32% in 2019) - NAEP 2024

That's 3 out of 10 students - The decline continues.

Students with author visits enjoy reading 49% more (58.6% vs 39.3%)

Week 7 of 64.

#LiteracyCrisis #EducationData

[JoeTweetster @JoeTweetster]

Check out my latest article: When the "Experts" Are Wrong Even When They're Right: A Story About Trusting Your Judgment https://t.co/KP10CNG4Ac via @LinkedIn

[JoeTweetster @JoeTweetster]

My grandmother Yetta carried Slavic folklore stories across an ocean.

I thought I'd have time to share them with my son. After one military deployment. After the next one. After 40 years of service.

That time never came.

Read the full story:

https://t.co/c4pjjbr6bQ

[JoeTweetster @JoeTweetster]

📊 Only 31% of 4th graders read proficiently—down from 35% in 2019 (NAEP 2024)

Less than 1 in 3. The decline continues.

Students with author visits: 2X more likely to read above grade level (30.8% vs 16.5%)

Week 6 of 64.

#LiteracyCrisis #EducationData

[JoeTweetster @JoeTweetster]

📊 33% of 8th graders score below BASIC level - HIGHEST EVER RECORDED (NAEP 2024)

They can't identify supporting details or perform basic comprehension.

Author visits increase writing enjoyment 34% (52.0% vs 38.8%)

Week 5 of 64.

#LiteracyCrisis #EducationData

[JoeTweetster @JoeTweetster]

📊 40% of 4th graders below BASIC level—highest since 2002 (NAEP 2024)

Kids can't recognize character actions in stories. This is foundational reading failure.

Author visits boost confidence 47% (36.8% vs 25.1%)

Week 4 of 64.

#LiteracyCrisis #EducationData

[JoeTweetster @JoeTweetster]

🚪 "Why didn't you Google this before asking?"

Ever been shut down for asking a question in a support forum?

Read: Gatekeepers: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly 👇
https://t.co/WQaUG306Nv
⚠️ If you've been on the receiving end, you'll feel SEEN.

[JoeTweetster @JoeTweetster]

🚨 Only 35% of high school seniors read proficiently—LOWEST in 20+ years. That's 1 in 3.

Author visits double their proficiency rate.

I'm building Authors for America after I retire to connect schools with authors.

Week 3 of 64.

#LiteracyCrisis #AuthorVisits

[JoeTweetster @JoeTweetster]

I tested what authors are told "always works." ✅

It didn't work. At all. ❌

Then I tested what seemed too expensive to justify. 💰

The results? Let's just say I'm running that strategy again. 🎯

https://t.co/Aw0PViKOLv
#WritingCommunity

[JoeTweetster @JoeTweetster]

📊 70% of 8th graders read below proficiency. Four years after 4th grade, 7 out of 10 students STILL struggle.

But students who meet an author enjoy reading 49% more.

After I retire (2027-2029), I'm building Authors for America. Follow every Friday. Week 2 of 64.

[JoeTweetster @JoeTweetster]

🚨 Every Friday: one stat about America's literacy crisis.
WEEK 1: 69% of 4th graders can't read proficiently.
As a picture book author, I see this as a national security issue. When I retire (2027-2029), I'm doing full-time author visits + launching a nonprofit.
Follow along. 📚

[JoeTweetster @JoeTweetster]

🎃 Made something fun for Halloween!

40 printable jokes & fortunes for trick-or-treat bags, parties, or lunch boxes.

Kids get a joke + fortune on each strip!

Download: https://t.co/h7wYnAp7jm

#Halloween #ZarekHalloween 👻

[JoeTweetster @JoeTweetster]

🎉 Excited to announce "Bella Brown—Grandma's Missing Butterfly Locket" hit #1 on Amazon's Paid Bestseller List!
This is my 6th bestselling book as a Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author.
A heartwarming story about Bella helping Grandma find her precious butterfly locket.

[JoeTweetster @JoeTweetster]

THE STOMP-CLOMP-CLUMP MONSTER ABOVE THE BED hit #1 in 3 categories & earned Literary Titan Gold Book Award.
What's scarier than a monster under your bed? The NOISY HUMAN above.
https://t.co/NijKwQjLk6