
Common Sense Media has compiled several studies about reading and their results show a decline in teens reading for pleasure over time.
- About a third of 13-year-olds and almost half of 17-year olds reported that they read for pleasure less than twice a year.
- Reading scores have improved since the 1970s, except for older teens where 17-year-old measures remain about the same.
- Perhaps the most distressing finding is that the reading gaps between different races in the US have been unchanged in the last 20 years.
- 46% of white children are proficient readers
- 20% of Hispanic children are proficient readers
- 18% of African-American children are proficient readers
You can read coverage of this report on several sites, though I can’t seem to find the full report online.