Reading at Risk Report

Once again, I'm interrupting the series on writing, but I was very concerned when I read about the latest statistics from the Reading at Risk report. The headline ran "fewer than half of American adults now read literature." What's most worrisome is the steep decline among young readers. According to the NEA, which funds the report, "The rate of decline for the youngest adults, those aged 18 to 24, was 55 percent greater than that of the total adult population." Is anyone else concerned about these statistics? After reading this report, I've resolved to shift some of the money I donate each year to literacy programs; my hope is that as people learn to read, they will acquire a respect for literature and perhaps pass that on to the younger generation. Maybe the number of literary readers will never reach the 90th percentile, but at least we can work to stem this worrisome decline.