Poverty and Reading

Recently we attended a viewing in a church in the small town of Mt. Nebo.  To get there we drove through the hills of southwestern Lancaster County, near the Susquehanna River.  We passed a wide variety of homes, from the very, very expensive to shacks and trailers.  I guess that I had forgotten about the poverty that really exists in our school district and this trip provided a stark reminder of this reality.  I have always thought that Penn Manor did a much better job of teaching its students than most other area schools because of the success that they have had with the challenges they face.  Many of my students never had a newspaper or a magazine in their home. Then, a few days later, I read some statistics about reading which at first I could not believe.  But once I thought about the pockets of poverty in places like our school district as well as the extensive poverty seen in our cities, I realized that these very sad statistics could be very true.  So I share these statistics with you, without much additional comment, for you to consider.  From Statistic Brain – some facts about reading.  57% of books are not read the whole way through.  70% of adults have not been in a bookstore in at least a year.  80% of families didn't buy any books this past year.  42% of college kids will not read another book after they graduate.   33% of high school kids will not read another book after they graduate.  56% of youth say they read more than 10 books a year.  If you read just 15 minutes a day, you will average a million words per year.  50% of adults can not read a book at an 8th grade reading level.   46% of American adults can't read a label on a prescription.   If you can read this blog, even if you think it is a waste of your time, be thankful for parents, teachers, and an environment which taught you and encouraged you to read.