When Neuman and Celano performed their survey of four low- and middle-income areas in 2001, and of six low-, middle-, and high-income areas in 2014, they cataloged a severe discrepancy in access to children’s books, finding that wealthier communities have as many as three businesses selling books for every one that sells books in poorer communities (Neuman & Celano, 2001; Neuman, 2016). What’s more, Neuman and Moland (2019) found that these neighborhoods, sometimes referred to as book deserts, “may seriously constrain young children’s opportunities to come to school ready to learn” (p. 127). They note, “Across Washington, D.C., Detroit, and the Los Angeles Basin, the data are consistent: Children’s books are hard to come by in high-poverty neighborhoods . During the precious summer months, with schools closed and preschool programs often converted to day camps or shut down for the vacation, the likelihood of finding a book for purchase in these neighborhoods is very slim” (p. 137). Similarly, Bradley et al. (2001) found that children from low-socioeconomic households are less likely to have even 10 books in their homes. With these data in mind, any attempts to level the playing field and boost student reading achievement must look beyond the schools to the homes and communities where children live and learn.
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