Why Reading Matters

The ability to read at a sophisticated level opens the doors to elite education and professions. That journey begins with parents who encourage children to read for entertainment.

Students who read books for fun once a day score significantly higher on reading tests. Neurological studies show that learning to read changes the brain's circuitry. Brain scans also confirm that reading a book is more cognitively enriching than reading online.

The kind of reading that best relates to higher academic performance is frequent novel reading, which predicts better grades in English class and higher overall grade point averages. The SAT and ACT tests are more reading intensive than ever, as well.

In addition, nearly 90 percent of employers rate reading comprehension as very important for workers with bachelor's degrees. Department of Education statistics also show that those who score higher on reading tests tend to earn higher incomes.

So, how often does your student visit the library?