A City That Reads Is a City That Succeeds
An adult without a high school diploma earns 42% less than an adult with a diploma. According to the October 2022 nation’s report card, Cleveland students saw the largest drop in fourth-grade reading scores. Whether eliminating poverty, lowering incarceration rates, improving healthcare, or increasing kids’ academic success, literacy plays a pivotal, but often overlooked role. Cleveland’s future success is shared by all its residents.
Cleveland Public Library, in partnership with local nonprofit organizations, businesses, corporations, associations, media, and government, has taken up the call issued by Mayor Justin M. Bibb to host a city-wide reading campaign to build our city’s literacy levels.
When it comes to the importance of reading, six minutes makes the difference. Statistics show that children who meet grade-level benchmarks read just six minutes more per day than their peers who do not reach grade-level benchmarks.
The benefits of reading are proven for every age level. Early literacy skills in young children allow them to enter kindergarten with a love of books and a readiness to learn. Teenagers whose habits were tracked since birth for a study showed that those who grew up in book-loving homes knew 42% more words than those who didn’t. A parent’s reading skill is the greatest determinant of a child’s future academic success and outweighs other factors like neighborhood and family income.
For adults, reading for 30 minutes or more per week included a 21% higher chance of significantly broadening one’s general knowledge. And people reading at least this much were 27% more likely to find it easy to start a conversation. According to studies, reading offers even better stress reduction than some of the other popular methods, such as listening to music or exercising. Likewise, health and wellness statistics show that 30 minutes of reading can also lower the heart rate, blood pressure, and feelings of psychological distress. Reading could help reduce mental decline in old age (by up to 32%). People who engage in mentally stimulating activities later in life experience less cognitive decline.
Consistently getting to a job on time? Helping kids with homework? Making healthy decisions? Increased literacy skills and literacy-related resources help adults become more able to help themselves, their families, and their communities.