Here are a few surprising statistics on books, readers, and literacy.
Reading frequency declines after the age of eight (Scholastic.com).
The more a child reads, the likelier they are to be able to understand the emotions of other (very likely true).
25% of Americans over the age of 16 have not read a book in the last year (Pew Research).
33% of high school graduates never read another book the rest of their lives (a suspect stat, but unfortunately close to the truth).
34% of eighth grade students read at a proficient level (National Center for Educational Statistics — NCES).
42% of college graduates never read another book after college (another suspect stat, not likely true).
46% of adults score in the two lowest levels for literacy (NCES). That means they do not read long text easily.
57% of new books are not read through to the end (alas, close to the truth).
61% of adults in the two lowest literacy levels live in poverty (NCES). Key tip: Learn to read, and learn to read well!
70% of U.S. adults have not been to a bookstore in the last five years (probably close to the truth).
71% of prison inmates score in the two lowest literacy levels (NCES).
80% of U.S. families did not buy or read a book last year (not true, not close to the truth, at least one person in most families reads a book more than once a year).
Reading one hour per day in your chosen field will make you an expert in seven years. Fact: Reading won’t make you an expert. Understanding will make you an expert.
