NEA Announces New Reading Study

November 19, 2007 the National Endowment for the Arts announced the release of To Read or Not To Read: A Question of National Consequence, a new and comprehensive analysis of reading patterns in the United States. To Read or Not To Read gathers statistics from more than 40 studies on the reading habits and skills of children, teenagers, and adults. The compendium reveals recent declines in voluntary reading and test scores alike, exposing trends that have severe consequences for American society.

The key findings:

• Americans are reading less (on average, Americans ages 15 to 24 spend almost two hours a day watching TV, and only seven minutes of their daily leisure time on reading)
• Americans are reading less well
• The declines in reading have civic, social, and economic implications
  

Sunil Iyengar, NEA Director of Research and Analysis, said, "To Read or Not to Read compels us to consider more carefully how we spend our time, since those choices affect us individually and collectively."

To Read or Not to Read confirms the central importance of reading for a prosperous, free society. The data here demonstrate that reading is an irreplaceable activity in developing productive and active adults as well as healthy communities.

Click here for the press release.
Click here for the research report.