The importance of literacy

The Problem •Children who live near or below the federal poverty line have much lower average reading scores than their peers. •Lack of basic literacy skills is linked with academic failure, substance abuse, teen pregnancy, delinquency, unemployment, low productivity, and welfare dependence. •Parents who can not read tend to have children who struggle with reading, thus perpetuating the cycle of poverty. The Solution •Providing books to children is a simple, effective, and inexpensive way to promote language and literacy growth. •Owning books is a critical feature of every child's intellectual development. •Reading aloud to children is the single most effective parent practice for enhancing language and literacy development. •Children with books at home are eight times more likely to list reading as one of their favorite activities.