Below is information about an excellent research-based report from Canada. I found it interesting that boys in USA were most likely to report they spent no time reading for pleasure.
Key findings of the report include:
➢ Reading is associated with cultivating the disposition for civic participation at large;
➢ “Foreign-born Canadians engage somewhat more in reading newspapers and election coverage in newspapers than non-foreign-born Canadians” (p.10);
➢ Later-life avid readers were likely read to at an earlier age than non-avid readers, demonstrating the importance of instilling a joy of reading in school-age children;
➢ Engagement with literature enhances professional efforts (“good readers make good doctors”);
➢ Our definitions of “pleasure reading” and “reading” need to be more broad; there are many deep and comprehensive reading experiences beyond engagement with fiction;
➢ Readers see Internet use as quite different than engaging with a book, even when the online activity involves extended periods of reading;
➢ “Even though reading is typically thought of as a solitary activity, reading and being a member of a group that reads a particular author or collection of books has direct social benefits through social interaction”; (p.17)
➢ Teens in particular identify the importance of working in groups as a key component to fostering literacy;
➢ Evidence supports the idea that giving students control over choosing what they read encourages them to read more;
➢ Because of academic obligation, even students who report that they enjoy reading frequently don’t read texts other than those assigned to them.
Click here to access full report.
Key findings of the report include:
➢ Reading is associated with cultivating the disposition for civic participation at large;
➢ “Foreign-born Canadians engage somewhat more in reading newspapers and election coverage in newspapers than non-foreign-born Canadians” (p.10);
➢ Later-life avid readers were likely read to at an earlier age than non-avid readers, demonstrating the importance of instilling a joy of reading in school-age children;
➢ Engagement with literature enhances professional efforts (“good readers make good doctors”);
➢ Our definitions of “pleasure reading” and “reading” need to be more broad; there are many deep and comprehensive reading experiences beyond engagement with fiction;
➢ Readers see Internet use as quite different than engaging with a book, even when the online activity involves extended periods of reading;
➢ “Even though reading is typically thought of as a solitary activity, reading and being a member of a group that reads a particular author or collection of books has direct social benefits through social interaction”; (p.17)
➢ Teens in particular identify the importance of working in groups as a key component to fostering literacy;
➢ Evidence supports the idea that giving students control over choosing what they read encourages them to read more;
➢ Because of academic obligation, even students who report that they enjoy reading frequently don’t read texts other than those assigned to them.
Click here to access full report.
