The 2007 edition of To Read or Not To Read provides a pretty interesting - and startling - look at the state of reading in the US. It incorporates some stats from the National Endowment for the Arts’ 2004 report, Reading at Risk, as well as new information.
Here’s a glimpse at some of the disturbing results of the studies as they apply to younger readers:
1, Nearly half of all Americans ages 18 to 24 read no books for pleasure.
2, Less than one-third of 13-year-olds are daily readers.
3, The percentage of 17-year-olds who read nothing at all for pleasure has doubled over a 20-year period. Yet the amount they read for school or homework (15 or fewer pages daily for 62% of students) has stayed the same.
4, 15- to 24- year-olds spend only 7–10 minutes per day on voluntary reading — about 60 less time than the average American.
And my favorite pair of statistics:
While the number of books in a home is a “significant predictor” of academic achievement, average annual household spending on books dropped 14% when adjusted for inflation.
You can download all 98 pages of 2007 To Read or Not To Read here.
It’s pretty heady stuff. And it makes me wonder about my readers… if you don’t mind sharing! How many books are on your night stand - and how old are you? (age range is fine)