"Through the years the United States has been losing the real reading war—the war against illiteracy. Today, 10 million American schoolchildren are poor readers. As a nation, we have failed to ensure that all children are good readers by the time they leave the primary grades"

—The National Education Association

Why We Care

        Good reading and writing skills are crucial to success in school and later careers; Reading success also connects to success in other subjects such as math and social science

The Facts

• Two-thirds of low-income American families own no books for their children

• Children who read for fun everyday score the highest on assessment tests

• In 2002, 10 million, 7-12 year olds performed below the basic reading level

• Nearly 70% of low-income fourth grade students have some difficulties learning to read. Many can not summarize a story at the basic level

• According to the U.S. Department of Education, fourth grade students who read for fun, scored higher than their peers who read less frequently

• Between 1994 and 2000, the percentage of students who never read for fun increased from 12 to 14%

• The National Center for Education Statistics reports 70% of low-income American families do not have books for their children

• More than 80% of low-income childcare centers do not own book

Family Behaviors To Raise A Good Reader

• Read to children regularly (30 minutes a day)
• Encourage children to visit a local library or bookstore
• Talk about books before and after you read them to get children excited
• Children who talk to their parents about school have higher average reading scores than students who never discuss studies at home
• Family activities such as telling stories and singing songs encourages children's acquisition of literacy skills

Sites That Contain Facts About Literacy

U.S. Department of Education Reading & Language Arts