March is recognized as National Reading Month here in America. As the daughter of a middle school librarian, the importance of reading was heavily stressed to me throughout my childhood. Though I wasn’t the most eager to read all the time, I am infinitely grateful for the amount of reading I did as a child, thanks to my mom’s strong encouragement.Â
My extensive reading expanded my vocabulary and knowledge of the world, and led me to read high above my grade level. It also ingrained in me a deep love for storytelling and literature of all kinds, that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. It’s incredibly disheartening to watch as kids stop reading and literacy rates among adults decline, given how much books and stories have added to my life over the years.
Reading and exposure to words helps kids maximize their language and cognitive capacity.
Laura Phillips, PsyD
READING AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Reading in early childhood is imperative for cognitive and intellectual development. It is important that young children are both read to, and encouraged to read on their own.Â
According to neuroscientist Laura Phillips, PsyD, “Reading and exposure to words helps kids maximize their language and cognitive capacity.”Â
In fact, research from The Ohio State University has found that children who are read to daily are exposed to at least 290,000 more words by the time they enter kindergarten than their peers who are not read to regularly. This number can reach over a million, depending on how much time is spent reading.Â
Furthermore, reading for pleasure in early childhood is linked to better mental health and higher cognitive performance later in life, according to research from the University of Cambridge.Â
Books have various other positive effects on kids, such as building empathy and emotional awareness, and developing greater knowledge of the world and the experiences of others.
As a middle school media specialist for the last 19 years, I have noticed that reading stamina has drastically declined in middle schoolers. Also, the amount of students who regularly read for pleasure has decreased.
Wendi Michael, MLIS
DECLINING LITERACY RATES AND ITS EFFECTS
Reading and literacy rates are on the decline in the U.S. in recent years.Â
According to 2023 statistics from National University, about 130 million U.S. adults read below a sixth-grade reading level, and 21% of U.S. adults are classified as functionally illiterate, meaning they are unable to complete basic reading tasks.
Additionally, the amount of adults scoring in the lowest literacy level has increased by nine percentage points from 2017 to 2023, illustrating that this problem is only increasing.Â
These statistics are incredibly alarming, as illiteracy among adults can lead to a plethora of societal issues.Â
According to the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy, “Low literacy prevents millions of adults from fully engaging in society as parents, workers and citizens, lying at the core of multigenerational cycles of poverty, poor health and low educational attainment.”Â
A 2020 study conducted by the Barbara Bush Foundation projected that each year in the U.S., nearly $2.2 trillion could be lost due to low literacy rates.Â
WHAT CAN WE DO?
Now that we have identified the problem, one question remains: how can we fix this? There is no simple solution, but there are small steps you can take to counteract this phenomenon.Â
- Start reading for pleasure. It doesn’t have to be a novel or even a book; there are so many ways to engage in reading, just find what you enjoy!Â
- Support your local public library. Most libraries now have online resources, so even if you can’t go in person, you can engage with media online, which helps increase library funding and outreach.Â
- If you are or plan to be a parent, ensure that your children are both read to and encouraged to read on their own as early as possible.Â
- Advocate for reading and literacy in your community.Â
