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Why Literacy is so Important…

• Literacy provides children with the opportunity to learn basic reading skills and fosters an appreciation for books makes a lifelong difference.
• A child’s ability to read effectively directly impacts his or her future opportunities for success in all aspects of life, ranging from education and job preparedness to self-esteem and quality of life.
• Reading to children is one of the best ways to encourage language development.
  • Source: Beginning with Books Center for Early Literacy, Annual Report     2005-2006
• Across the nation just under half of children between birth and five years (47.8%) are read to every day by their parents or other family members.
  • Russ S, Perez V, Garro N, Klass P, Kuo AA, Gershun M, Halfon N, Zuckerman B. Reading Across the Nation: A Chartbook (2007): Reach Out and Read National Center, Boston, MA.
• By the age of 2, children who are read to regularly display greater language comprehension, larger vocabularies, and higher cognitive skills than their peers.
  • Raikes, H., Pan, B.A., Luze, G.J., Tamis-LeMonda, C.S., Brooks-Gunn, J., Constantine, J., Tarullo, L.B., Raikes, H.A., Rodriguez, E. (2006). “Mother-child book reading in low-income families: Correlates and outcomes during the first three years of life.” Child Development, 77(4).
• The Early Childhood Longitudinal Study found that in the spring of 2000, the children who were read to at least three times a week by a family member were almost twice as likely to score in the top 25% in reading compared to children who were read to less than 3 times a week.
  • Denton, Kristen and Gerry West, Children's Reading and Mathematics Achievement in Kindergarten and First Grade (PDF file), U.S. Department of Education, NCES, Washington, DC, 2002.
• Research data lead the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PISA) to conclude that finding ways to engage students in reading may be one of the most effective ways to leverage social change and that being a more enthusiastic and frequent reader was more of an advantage, on its own, than having well-educated parents in good jobs.
  • Foster, Amelia. “Making International Comparisons.” Literacy Today. September 2003. Retrieved April 14, 2008.
• Research demonstrates that starting the educational process as early as age 5 is too late.
• Children who are exposed to reading at an early age make the symbol/language connection and are more likely to be reading at the appropriate age level by the end of the third grade.
  • Source: Beginning with Books Center for Early Literacy, Annual Report 2007-2008
• Children form basic cognitive abilities in their earliest years. Those who are not exposed to letters, numbers, and social skills at home enter school a full year and a half behind their middle class peers in language ability. Many children start school with a serious educational deficit.
  • Source: Beginning with Books Center for Early Literacy, Annual Report 2009-2010
• Children entering kindergarten with elementary math and reading skills are the most likely to do well in school later, even if they have various social and emotional problems
  • Northwestern University. "Early Academic Skills, Not Behavior, Best Predict School Success." ScienceDaily 19 November 2007. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071112182442.htm
• The average middle class first grader has been read to more than 1,250 hours, however for some children in low income families, the comparable figure is 25 hours.
• An average child from a low income family hears one half to one third as many spoken words as children in more affluent households.
• At age 6, children from high income families have an average vocabulary of 20,000 words. Children from low income families have a vocabulary of 3,000 words.
• A mother’s literacy level is a significant predictor of a child’s literacy proficiency.
  • Source: Beginning with Books Center for Early Literacy, Annual Report 2005-2006
• Among adults at the lowest level of literacy proficiency, 43% live in poverty. Among adults with strong literacy skills, only 4% live in poverty.
  • Reder, Stephen, ed. The State of Literacy in America. Washington, DC: US Department of Education, 1998, p. 5.
• Reading proficiency is one of the most important factors in breaking the cycle of poverty that plagues so many of our communities.
• 80% of preschool and after-school programs serving low-income populations have no age-appropriate books for their children.
  • Neuman, Susan B., et al. Access for All: Closing the Book Gap for Children in early Education. Newark, DE: International Reading Association, 2001, p. 3.
• The number of children’s books in the home directly relates to a child’s reading proficiency. In fact, 61% of low income families have no children’s books in their homes.
• On average, there are 13 children’s book titles available per child in middle income neighborhoods, but by contrast, there is only 1 children’s book title available for every 300 children in poor communities.
• The most successful way to improve the reading achievement of low-income children is to increase their access to print.
  • Neuman, Susan B., et al. “Americans Child Care Crisis: A Crime Prevention Tragedy”: Fight Crime; Invest in Kids, 2000.