Third graders are now reportedly incapable of basic survival, and the reason why is somehow even sadder than the failure itself

Elementary school teacher @mommy_n_zachy went viral recently after posting a TikTok detailing a genuinely alarming list of basic survival skills that many of her third-grade students just don’t possess. This news is tough to hear because it shows kids are struggling with fundamentals, and it’s sparking a huge discussion about where the responsibility truly lies.

The video shows that this isn’t just tricky algebra or advanced concepts. The list of missing basics is truly shocking. Many third graders can’t confidently read an analog clock, which honestly makes sense in a digital world, but it still feels like a foundational skill we should expect them to master. According to Daily Dot, apparently, some students don’t know their home addresses, their parents’ names, or their parents’ phone numbers.

Not knowing how to count money, including the names and denominations of coins, is a huge red flag. It is kind of understandable because physical change is rarely used today, but they were missing other critical skills like tying their shoes, knowing what year they were born, following multi-step directions, writing in script, and even putting things in alphabetical order for dictionary use. This is awful for their long-term development.

Kids aren’t learning the same things today

The teacher stressed that educators are ready to do their part, but they can’t start completely from scratch. She made a direct plea to parents, asking them to join the effort to ensure children aren’t completely unprepared when they enter the classroom. “We’re gonna do our part as teachers, but we just need a little help,” she said. She clearly understands that setting kids up for success is a shared task. “We’re a community. We work together,” she added, urging everyone to “try to just bridge some of these basic gaps, please.”

My kids know this stuff and learned at a young age, but the time that used to be used to teach me is now used to teach kids different things. If anything, this may be because our standards for kids are so much higher, and they have to learn concepts much sooner than they used to, which means things like learning to share and these skills are put to the side.

While resource limitations and busy parents are certainly contributing factors, the most depressing revelation is the social dynamic among the students themselves.

It’s clear that collaboration is the key here. The consensus among teachers and online commenters is that this requires a partnership. Parents need to commit to building those foundational skills at home, allowing teachers to focus on the curriculum once students are in the classroom.