Monday, April 1, 2013

Proof of what we always knew about reading






There are times when it’s exciting to live in the smartest country in the world.

Researchers in Melbourne (my home town) have finally proven what librarians, school teachers and lovers of books have been saying ever since the first scroll was penned. Children who are read to when they are little do better at reading and numbers than kids who are are not read to, regardless of the wealth or poverty of their families, and regardless of the literacy level of their family.

The study followed children from a huge variety of circumstances from the age of four or five until they were ten or eleven. Children read to 0-2 times a week were average. Kids read to 3-5 times a week were six months ahead, and kids read to 6-7 times a week were almost a year ahead in reading and in numeracy.

You can read about the study here:
http://www.theage.com.au/national/proof-of-benefits-of-reading-to-children-20130302-2fd7s.html

Or you could just find a little kid and start reading to them!

Helen Woodall
helen.woodall@gmail.com

Helen is available to line edit and/ or content edit fiction and non-fiction. Rates on application.

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