Americans are reading less.
1. Young adults are reading fewer books in general.
2. Reading is declining as an activity among teenagers.
3. College attendance no longer guarantees active reading habits.
4. Teens and young adults spend less time reading than people
of other age groups.
5. Even when reading does occur, it competes with other media.
This multitasking suggests less focused engagement with a text.
6. American families are spending less on books than at almost
any other time in the past two decades.
Americans are reading less well.
1. Reading scores for 17-year-olds are down.
2. Among high school seniors, the average score has declined for virtually all
levels of reading.
3. Reading proficiency rates are stagnant or declining in adults of both genders
and all education levels.
4. Reading for pleasure correlates strongly with academic achievement.
The declines in reading have civic, social, and
economic implications.
1. Employers now rank reading and writing as top deficiencies in new hires.
2. Good readers generally have more financially rewarding jobs.
3. Less advanced readers report fewer opportunities for career growth.
4. Good readers play a crucial role in enriching our cultural and civic life.
5. Good readers make good citizens.
6. Deficient readers are far more likely than skilled readers to be high school
dropouts.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Endowment for the Arts