Boys in USA Likely to report they spent no time reading for pleasure

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.