Reading has declined drastically among American children with a large section saying they read for pleasure just once or twice a year, a report released by Common Media Sense states.
A meta-analysis of seven surveys and various tests by public and private groups show that overall reading among pre-adolescents and youngsters has gone down tremendously in the last 30 years. The report also showed that fewer parents read to their children these days. Researchers, however, noted that other forms of reading, such as e-books, were not taken into account.
According to the report, government studies show the percentage of 9-year-olds reading by choice once or more every week dipped from 81 percent in 1984 to 76 percent in 2013. The decline was more among older children, reports Reuters.
"This is a cause for genuine concern," said James Steyer, CEO and founder of Common Sense Media. "As a father of four and an educator, I think reading is essential to kids' academic success and long-term well-being."
The report also showed that 45 percent of 17-year-olds said they read for pleasure just once or twice a year.
Compared to previous statistics, the report is alarming. In 1984, 8 percent of 13-year-olds and 9 percent of 17-year-olds said they 'never' or 'hardly ever' read by choice. But, the number decreased threefold in 2014 to 22 percent and 27 percent, respectively. Furthermore, the study noted girls tend to read more than boys. The report stated that 18 percent boys confessed to reading every day, while 30 percent of girls said they read daily, reports TIME.
"That gap is shamefully huge," Steyer commented.
Moreover, the study also found that one-third of fourth graders were 'proficient' in reading and another one-third of those were below 'basic' reading skills. An average of 30 minutes to an hour is spent by children to read - similar to the time taken by their parents to read for them.
The researchers stated that more studies were required to understand the effect of e-books on children's literacy, comprehension and retention.
