Reading facts

Students who reported having four types of reading materials (books, magazines, newspapers, encyclopedias) in their home scored, on average, higher than those who reported having fewer reading materials.

Children whose parents read to them become better readers and perform better in school.

The number of words read in a year by a middle-school child who is an avid reader might approach 10 million compared to 100,000 for the least motivated middle-school reader.

The percentage of pre-kindergarten children who are read to three times or more in a week by a family member increased from 78 percent in 1993 to 86 percent in 2005.

A mother’s education was one of the factors most strongly associated with reading frequency. However, when the number of siblings increased, the frequency of reading decreased.

Children who have poor academic outcomes in elementary school, particularly those who have difficulty learning to read, are more likely to engage in delinquency, violence and substance use during adolescence.