(no subject)
Earlier in the month I heard a report on NPR about the state of reading in America, and I thought that would be the perfect topic for my November newspaper article for the library. I just thought I'd post it here so anyone else interested in literacy could get a peek...
In 2004, the National Endowment for the Arts conducted a study on the reading habits of Americans. The title of their report, “Reading at Risk,” says it all. They discovered after surveying more than 17,000 people, aged 18 and older, that more than half of American adults no longer read any works of fiction for enjoyment. More than half of Americans no longer pick up a novel ever, just to relax or laugh or simply find pleasure in reading a good story.
From 1982 to 2002, ten percent of readers simply closed their books, turned off their reading lamps and found something else to do with their time. That was a loss of around 20 million people reading for pleasure. The rate of decline sped up during the 1990’s; it tripled between 1992 and 2002.
As frightening as those results were, the NEA recently took that study a step further, expanding the scope to poll readers as young as children and teens. They also included nonfiction as well as fiction, and a variety of formats, including books, magazines, newspapers, and online reading too. The new study, 99 pages long, is titled “To Read or Not to Read: A Question of National Consequence” and focuses on both the illiterate, people who cannot read, and also the aliterate, people who can read but choose not to.
There are so many fascinating facts collected in the document. The results were collated using a plethora of raw information culled from national government, academic and foundation surveys. Dana Gioia, chairman of the NEA, says “I've done a lot of work in statistics in my career, and I've never seen a situation where so much data was pulled from so many places and absolutely everything is so consistent."
The surprising, and saddening, story about American reading that is told over and over by the compiled data is that, while elementary school reading ability has increased markedly, all progress halts as those good readers enter their teenage years. Teen and adult reading has steadily declined as the use of electronics has increased and even college graduates are reading less and less well. The average American spends two hours a day watching television and just seven minutes reading. Reading less means reading less well in the long run.
"'To Read or Not to Read' suggests we are losing the majority of the new generation," Gioia said. "The majority of young Americans will not realize their individual, economic or social potential."
The report found that this decline impacts every aspect of American society from public health to the arts and even the volunteer sector. Literary readers are more likely to exercise, visit art museums, vote in elections and perform volunteerism for their communities.
"This should explode the notion that reading is somehow a passive activity," Gioia said. "Reading creates people who are more active by any measure. People who don't read, who spend more of their time watching TV or on the Internet, playing video games, seem to be significantly more passive….If kids are put into this electronic culture without any counterbalancing efforts, they will stop reading "
Economically, employers are reporting that 72% of their new high school graduate level employees are “deficient” in their writing and English skills. Lowered levels of reading and writing were proven to connect with people doing less well in the job market. 55 % of people from the study who read below the basic level are unemployed. Higher unemployment, lower pay and fewer opportunities for advancement are hash realities for the majority of people who read little or not at all. Add to this that amongst prisoners significantly lower reading skills are found in our penal system compared to the rest of the population. Only 3% of them can read at a proficient level. That should make you want to pick up a book immediately!
Gioia admits that the study may be seen as overwhelmingly negative, yet, he argues, they are simply presenting the results as they stand. If we, as Americans, do not attempt to make reading a daily habit, for ourselves and for our children, our country is looking at serious educational, cultural, economic and social setbacks.
Was there any good news? The positive side of the study reiterated many things we already believed about reading. Not surprisingly, frequent reading increases the likelihood of an individual’s academic and economic success and even seems to inspire social and civic drive. “Whether or not people read, and indeed how much and how often they read, affects their lives in crucial ways. Books change lives for the better,” says Gioia. The amazing and simple deciding factor in who reads and who doesn’t has nothing to do with social or economic status, it is the number of books in their home. Surround yourself and your children with books and they will be more likely to read!
So, do your part to encourage reading to the teens and the adults in your life. This Christmas, as you look for the perfect gift for someone you love, consider purchasing them something meaningful, stylish and timeless - a book. Then inscribe it with words from your heart and present it to them with pride. Placing the right book in the hands of the right person may seem daunting. But, if you aren’t sure where to start, you can always ask your local librarian - we would love to help you find the just the right one.
In 2004, the National Endowment for the Arts conducted a study on the reading habits of Americans. The title of their report, “Reading at Risk,” says it all. They discovered after surveying more than 17,000 people, aged 18 and older, that more than half of American adults no longer read any works of fiction for enjoyment. More than half of Americans no longer pick up a novel ever, just to relax or laugh or simply find pleasure in reading a good story.
From 1982 to 2002, ten percent of readers simply closed their books, turned off their reading lamps and found something else to do with their time. That was a loss of around 20 million people reading for pleasure. The rate of decline sped up during the 1990’s; it tripled between 1992 and 2002.
As frightening as those results were, the NEA recently took that study a step further, expanding the scope to poll readers as young as children and teens. They also included nonfiction as well as fiction, and a variety of formats, including books, magazines, newspapers, and online reading too. The new study, 99 pages long, is titled “To Read or Not to Read: A Question of National Consequence” and focuses on both the illiterate, people who cannot read, and also the aliterate, people who can read but choose not to.
There are so many fascinating facts collected in the document. The results were collated using a plethora of raw information culled from national government, academic and foundation surveys. Dana Gioia, chairman of the NEA, says “I've done a lot of work in statistics in my career, and I've never seen a situation where so much data was pulled from so many places and absolutely everything is so consistent."
The surprising, and saddening, story about American reading that is told over and over by the compiled data is that, while elementary school reading ability has increased markedly, all progress halts as those good readers enter their teenage years. Teen and adult reading has steadily declined as the use of electronics has increased and even college graduates are reading less and less well. The average American spends two hours a day watching television and just seven minutes reading. Reading less means reading less well in the long run.
"'To Read or Not to Read' suggests we are losing the majority of the new generation," Gioia said. "The majority of young Americans will not realize their individual, economic or social potential."
The report found that this decline impacts every aspect of American society from public health to the arts and even the volunteer sector. Literary readers are more likely to exercise, visit art museums, vote in elections and perform volunteerism for their communities.
"This should explode the notion that reading is somehow a passive activity," Gioia said. "Reading creates people who are more active by any measure. People who don't read, who spend more of their time watching TV or on the Internet, playing video games, seem to be significantly more passive….If kids are put into this electronic culture without any counterbalancing efforts, they will stop reading "
Economically, employers are reporting that 72% of their new high school graduate level employees are “deficient” in their writing and English skills. Lowered levels of reading and writing were proven to connect with people doing less well in the job market. 55 % of people from the study who read below the basic level are unemployed. Higher unemployment, lower pay and fewer opportunities for advancement are hash realities for the majority of people who read little or not at all. Add to this that amongst prisoners significantly lower reading skills are found in our penal system compared to the rest of the population. Only 3% of them can read at a proficient level. That should make you want to pick up a book immediately!
Gioia admits that the study may be seen as overwhelmingly negative, yet, he argues, they are simply presenting the results as they stand. If we, as Americans, do not attempt to make reading a daily habit, for ourselves and for our children, our country is looking at serious educational, cultural, economic and social setbacks.
Was there any good news? The positive side of the study reiterated many things we already believed about reading. Not surprisingly, frequent reading increases the likelihood of an individual’s academic and economic success and even seems to inspire social and civic drive. “Whether or not people read, and indeed how much and how often they read, affects their lives in crucial ways. Books change lives for the better,” says Gioia. The amazing and simple deciding factor in who reads and who doesn’t has nothing to do with social or economic status, it is the number of books in their home. Surround yourself and your children with books and they will be more likely to read!
So, do your part to encourage reading to the teens and the adults in your life. This Christmas, as you look for the perfect gift for someone you love, consider purchasing them something meaningful, stylish and timeless - a book. Then inscribe it with words from your heart and present it to them with pride. Placing the right book in the hands of the right person may seem daunting. But, if you aren’t sure where to start, you can always ask your local librarian - we would love to help you find the just the right one.