Why Read?

The National Endowment for the Arts issued a report (To Read or Not to Read) on the importance of reading. It is available at http://www.nea.gov/news/news07/TRNR.html

The report shows some important reasons why developing a reading habit and providing the opportunity for people to read is so important.

Reading for pleasure correlates strongly with academic achievement.
* Voluntary readers are better readers and writers than non-readers.
* Children and teenagers who read for pleasure on a daily or weekly basis score better on reading tests than infrequent readers.
* Frequent readers also score better on writing tests than non-readers or infrequent readers.

Good readers generally have more financially rewarding jobs.
*More than 60% of employed Proficient readers have jobs in management, or in the business, financial, professional, and related sectors.
* Only 18% of Basic readers are employed in those fields.
* Proficient readers are 2.5 times as likely as Basic readers to be earning $850 or more a week.

Good readers play a crucial role in enriching our cultural and civic life.
* Literary readers are more than 3 times as likely as non-readers to visit museums, attend plays or concerts, and create artworks of their own.
*They are also more likely to play sports, attend sporting events, or do outdoor activities.
* 18- to 34-year-olds, whose reading rates are the lowest for any adult age group under 65, show declines in cultural and civic participation.

Good readers make good citizens.
* Literary readers are more than twice as likely as non-readers to volunteer or do charity work.
* 84% of Proficient readers voted in the 2000 presidential election, compared with 53% of Below-Basic readers.