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RESEARCH COMPENDIUM EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Reading provides a cognitive workout that is
without equal. “Reading volume” (time logged
inside text plus number of words read) ex-
ercises and expands the mind. And reading
fiction expands the heart as well. Not only does
reading make us smarter, it also makes us more
empathetic.
Highlights
Reading Makes Us Smart
•
The more that students read, the better their
comprehension, vocabulary, and fluency –
and the more likely they are to build a robust
knowledge of the world. In general, the more
students read, the better they read.
•
Strong readers tend to be strong writers –
they know how to spell, punctuate, and struc-
ture a sentence, paragraph, and essay. Every
time students read a text, they get a lesson
on effective writing.
READERS: Early; Adolescent; Boy
Readers; ELL/Diverse Learners; and
Reluctant Readers.
•
Engagement with print from birth on helps
guarantee academic success. Children
exposed to lots of print during their early
childhood will have an easier time learning
to read than those who are not. This includes
exposure to print in the environment, read-
aloud routines, and discussion about books
and print throughout the day.
Open a World of Possible
Research Compendium Executive Summary
•
Students who learn to read in their first
language achieve higher levels of reading to
English in comparison to students who learn
to read exclusively in their target or second
language. Extensive reading in both lang-
uages builds robust vocabulary and the back-
ground knowledge needed for deep com-
prehension.
•
Students, even those who find reading chal-
lenging, thrive in classrooms that are filled
with books at different levels with extended
opportunities throughout the day to read
and discuss books with their teacher and
peers. A rich classroom reading culture
supports all students.
READING: Volume, Stamina, and In-
dependent Reading; Comprehension;
Background Knowledge; Vocabulary;
and Fluency.
•
The more we read, the more we know. Vol-
ume of reading is critical in the development
of reading proficiency, and avid reading is a
widely recognized precursor to better skills
acquisition, superior grades, and a desirable
life.
A GROWTH MINDSET: Reading
Engagement and Confidence;
Reading Choice, Time, and Pleasure.
•
Children who read for pleasure are likely to
do significantly better at school than their
peers who rarely read.