We all know that reading is important. For all of us knowing how to read opens up new worlds and new possibilities. It’s true that knowledge is power — when you teach a child to read, you’re giving them the power to change their circumstances, no matter how dire. From there, anything is possible. Here are a few reasons why reading matters.
If we look at the root of every social issue across the world at the root of it is a lack of education, and at the root of that is a lack of basic reading skills. Below are just a few of the reasons why we’ve chosen to make literacy the core of Little Book of Words. To find out more about how we use our inspirational books to fight illiteracy, visit our Buy a Book, Give a Book page.
Women who are educated are healthier.
Women who are educated earn more.
When moms don’t read, it is more likely that their children won’t read.
According to ProLiteracy, by 2018 only 10% of jobs will be available to those who fail to complete high school.
Forty six percent of American adults are unable to read their medical prescription labels. The health care industry estimates $73 billion per year of unnecessary health care expenses are attributable to poor literacy. (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Statistics, 2004)
Sixty three percent of prisoners can’ read, and roughly 10% of mothers in prison have children in foster care. By increasing the literacy rates of those mothers it’s less likely that their children will end up in foster care. (Federal Interagency Working Group for Children of Incarcerated Parents)
Something as small as a rise of 1% in literacy scores leads to a 2.5% rise in labor productivity and a 1.5% rise in GDP. (Economist)
