ACCESS TO BOOKS “We believe that literacy—the ability to read, write, and understand—is the birthright of every child in the world as well as the pathway to succeed in school and to realize a complete life.” —Richard Robinson, Scholastic chairman, president, and CEO
KEY FINDINGS
> > Placing books in the hands of children fundamentally influences their chances for both personal and academic success (Constantino, 2014; Neuman and Celano, 2012; McGill-Franzen, 2016; Allington and McGill-Franzen, 2013; Kim, 2009). > > The most successful way to improve the reading achievement of low-income children is to increase their access to print (Neuman and Celano, 2012). > > Although low-income children have, on average, four children’s books in their homes, a team of researchers concluded that nearly two-thirds—or 61 percent of the low-income families they studied—owned no books for their children (US Department of Education, 1996). > > Unfortunately, little has changed. These contrasting ecologies of affluence and poverty have become the source of increasing racial prejudice, growing class stratification, and widely different opportunities to become well educated. > > Access to books is fundamental to a hopeful, productive life: being read to, reading for yourself, and discussing what you’ve read creates an upward, positive spiral that leads to more reading and greater academic achievement and personal fulfillment years down the line (Cunningham and Zilbulsky, 2014; Jacobs, 2014; Neuman and Celano, 2012). > > Books in the home are a “marker” for a “scholarly culture” that reflects a penchant for reading and learning (Evans, Kelley, Sikora, and Treiman, 2010).
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CHAPTER 4: TEXT
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