Facts About Children's Literacy

• More than half of young people say that their parents do not encourage them to read other than for school work.

• Children who report that their parents encourage them to read are more likely to read a high volume of books (65% read more than 10 per year).

• More than a third of young people report that they read more in their spare time than their parents.

• Communities ranking high in achievement tests have several factors in common: an abundance of books in public libraries, easy access to books in the community at large and a large number of text books per pupil.

• The National Center for Education Statistics found that nearly two-thirds of the low-income families they studied owned no books for children.

• In two-thirds of U.S. classrooms, there are fewer than 50 children's books.

(Sources: NEA, International Reading Association, U.S. Dept. of Education)

See Also:

Literacy Links | Literacy Facts | Recommended Reading Lists | Games & Tip Sheets