OT: but important/scary.

[Ed Prochak]

just came across this statistic:
40% of adults in the USA read NO books each year.

Check the details at

http://www.arts.gov/pub/readingatrisk.pdf

[bj]

I wonder if I'm reading "literature" or just "books". I'm certainly not
reading anything that would be on my English teacher's assignment list. -:)
bj

[Michelle]

In article <3ae993c6-4b7f-49c4...@googlegroups.com>,

Do you realize that this report is about nine years old, and contains data
that is eleven years old?

Things may have improved since then. I certainly hope they do.

--
Tea Party Patriots is to Patriotism as
People's Democratic Republic is to Democracy.

[Ed Prochak]

Michelle,

My wife is a teacher. based on her experience, the trend continues (and not in the improved direction).

But you may have a point. here's a more recent report.
http://www.nea.gov/news/news09/readingonrise.html

But in a democracy where even as little as 20% read no books each year, i'd be concerned. (and I am.)

Good to see you back.
ed

[Ed Prochak]

Digging into the report, there is improvement but still lots of room for concern

read at least one book (in a year)
in 2002 56.6%
in 2008 54.3%

Yes the percentage went down! In absolute numbers the # of readers increased, but we still have a ways to go to get people reading again.

ed

[bj]

Reading?
or...reading * books*?

Does e-reading count?
bj

[Michelle]

In article <65dab66a-b235-453f...@googlegroups.com>,

Ed Prochak <edpr...@gmail.com> wrote:

> But you may have a point. here's a more recent report.
> http://www.nea.gov/news/news09/readingonrise.html
>
> But in a democracy where even as little as 20% read no books each year,
> i'd be concerned. (and I am.)

The really good news in that report:

€ Young adults show the most rapid increases in literary reading.
Since 2002, 18-24 year olds have seen the biggest increase (nine
percent) in literary reading, and the most rapid rate of increase (21
percent). This jump reversed a 20 percent rate of decline in the 2002
survey, the steepest rate of decline since the NEA survey began.

€ Since 2002, reading has increased at the sharpest rate (+20 percent)
among Hispanic Americans, Reading rates have increased among African
Americans by 15 percent, and among Whites at an eight percent rate of
increase.

€ For the first time in the survey's history, literary reading has
increased among both men and women. Literary reading rates have grown
or held steady for adults of all education levels.

If the young keep reading as they get older and the older folk die off (as
we will), the stats will continue to improve.

> Good to see you back.

Thanks. Good to be back.

[John Hurley]

Ed:

...

It's all relative Ed ... some children and adults read a LOT OF BOOKS
every year ...

My youngest just nailed a composite score of 36 on her recent ACT
( highest possible ) ... so she at least has been reading ... that's
one example to the contrary!

[Ed Prochak]

Hi bj,

I think e-reading does count. The detail was "reading literature", so I think reading say "Game of Thrones" on an kindle counts.

ed

[Syamu Mamilla M12]

sdfsf