Books & Wanderlust
The Reading Agency UK tells us
And these statistics are backed up by countries around the world. The US National Endowment for the Arts said in its 2007 paper, To Read or Not To Read: A Question of National Consequence, that "As Americans, especially younger Americans, read less, they read less well. Because they read less well they have lower levels of academic achievement….With lower levels of reading and writing ability, people do less well in the job market. Poor reading skills correlate heavily with lack of employment, lower wages, and fewer opportunities for advancement."
So what can we do? There are numerous studies that tell us that people who read for enjoyment have higher literacy skills are less likely to drop out of school, will get better jobs and have greater opportunities in life. Likewise exposure to different climates, cultures and people groups through travel broadens a person's point of reference to the world and helps fight bigotry and intolerance. One organization that seeks to combine these disciplines to expand peoples' horizons is Books&Wanderlust. Founded by Kimberly James, Books&Wanderlust is a non-profit dedicated to helping minorities and the underprivileged gain access to the world through books and travel. They provide funding for readers, writers and travelers of all ages to that people can have access to resources and experiences they would otherwise never have access to. Whether it is someone who has never traveled outside their city or a student who cannot afford their text books to continue school, Books&Wanderlust seeks to help people grow and improve their lives.
This month Books&Wanderlust is a featured charity on WorkerAnts.com. You can read all about this great organization in Kim's own words by checking out the article here on WorkerAnts.com.
- Children and young people who do not achieve expected levels of literacy are likely to be from disadvantaged backgrounds.
- 14% of children in lower income homes rarely or never read books for pleasure.
- Only 1 in 5 parents easily find the opportunity to read to their children.
- Parents are the most important reading role models for children and young people. (National Literacy Trust, Reaching Out with Role Models, April 2009)
- 10 to 16 year-olds who read for pleasure do better at school. (2013 research by Dr Alice Sullivan and Matt Brown from the Institute of Education)
- Reading for pleasure is more important for children's cognitive development than their parents' level of education. (2013 research by Dr Alice Sullivan and Matt Brown from the Institute of Education)
And these statistics are backed up by countries around the world. The US National Endowment for the Arts said in its 2007 paper, To Read or Not To Read: A Question of National Consequence, that "As Americans, especially younger Americans, read less, they read less well. Because they read less well they have lower levels of academic achievement….With lower levels of reading and writing ability, people do less well in the job market. Poor reading skills correlate heavily with lack of employment, lower wages, and fewer opportunities for advancement."
So what can we do? There are numerous studies that tell us that people who read for enjoyment have higher literacy skills are less likely to drop out of school, will get better jobs and have greater opportunities in life. Likewise exposure to different climates, cultures and people groups through travel broadens a person's point of reference to the world and helps fight bigotry and intolerance. One organization that seeks to combine these disciplines to expand peoples' horizons is Books&Wanderlust. Founded by Kimberly James, Books&Wanderlust is a non-profit dedicated to helping minorities and the underprivileged gain access to the world through books and travel. They provide funding for readers, writers and travelers of all ages to that people can have access to resources and experiences they would otherwise never have access to. Whether it is someone who has never traveled outside their city or a student who cannot afford their text books to continue school, Books&Wanderlust seeks to help people grow and improve their lives.
This month Books&Wanderlust is a featured charity on WorkerAnts.com. You can read all about this great organization in Kim's own words by checking out the article here on WorkerAnts.com.
