Families Overlook Importance of Reading Together

TEANECK, N.J.-(Business Wire)-January 15, 2009 - Reading as a family activity is less important to U.S. and Canadian parents when compared to other listed activities according to a recent online survey.

“As U.S. literacy rates worsen, parents need to make daily reading a priority for themselves and their children. Our society cannot afford a generation that doesn’t enjoy reading,” says Dr. Mary Mokris, education specialist for Kumon Math and Reading Learning Centers. “Reading as a family drives home the need for literacy at every age."

The survey for Kumon, conducted by Harris Interactive found that activities such as playing outside, watching a movie and eating together were more important to today’s families than reading together.

Nevertheless, 96 percent of U.S. and Canadian parents recognize the importance of having strong reading skills for school and as an adult.

“The study suggests that parents do value reading but have difficulty incorporating it into their families’ lives,” says Dr. Mokris. “Spending as little as 15 minutes a day reading together helps children of any age improve literacy, analytical and lifelong learning skills while fostering a love for the English language.”

Getting a child to read can be challenging, but parents can learn new ways to make it fun and enjoyable. Dr. Mokris offers the following low-cost tips to help parents promote literacy at home.

1) Bring reading home - Create a reading area in your house that has comfortable furniture, good lighting and most importantly, reading materials. Stock this area with magazines, newspapers, and books that your children will enjoy, such as how-to books, mysteries, comedies, reference books or even fairytales. Look for books that the whole family can enjoy reading together. The local library, used bookstores and yard sales are great places to find books.

2) Start a book club – Start a parent/child book club to motivate your child to read with their friends. Parents can learn more about their child’s interests and children will get more comfortable reading and sharing in front of peers.

3) Read the book, watch the movie and discuss – Watch a movie based on a book you have read. It gives children and adults an opportunity to discuss the content, dilemmas and moral implications of the story. Also consider reading a book based on a movie your child enjoys. It can provide additional information while revisiting the tale in a different format. This combination sharpens both comprehension and decoding abilities, two of the most important skills for learning.

4) Physical Reading – Make reading a part of your outdoor playtime. Read to your child and ask him to act out what he has just heard. Older children can read a play and then perform it for the family. These practices help foster a genuine interest in reading and can strengthen his comprehension and analytical skills.

5) Read and Explore – Turn family day trips or local excursions into a fun learning opportunity. Have each family member choose an area attraction that they would like to visit. Have older children read about the area and play tour guide for the day. For younger children, choose a book that brings the destination to life. If you are visiting Washington D.C., choose a children’s book about George Washington. This will show children that reading allows one to travel the world.

6) Play games that involve reading – Games bring reading for fun into your child’s life. Play the child-friendly version of your favorite trivia game and ask your child to keep the cards that have information in which she took interest. Later, your family can make a trip to the library together to find a book on the topic.

Need help selecting books that appeal to your child’s interests or reading ability? Kumon Math and Reading Learning Centers offers a free Kumon Recommended Reading List, which includes a range of 350 titles for any reading level. Students can find books on anything from sports to science or adventure books. A number of books have multicultural themes. The list also highlights a section of books that are perfect for parents to read aloud with their younger children. Stop by a local Kumon Center for your copy. For locations, visit www.kumon.com or call 800-ABC-MATH.

Survey Methodology

The two surveys cited here were conducted online within the United States and Canada by Harris Interactive on behalf of Kumon Math and Reading Centers between August 13-19, 2008 among 2,424 U.S. adults aged 18 and older, of which 1,100 were parents of children of any age and among 1,003 Canadian adults aged 18 and older, of which 473 were parents of children of any age. For the U.S. and Canadian adults aged 18 and over, data were weighted using propensity score weighting to be representative of the total U.S. and Canadian adult population on the basis of region, age within gender, education, household income, race/ethnicity, and propensity to be online within each country. No estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated; a full methodology is available.

About Kumon Math and Reading Centers

Kumon [koo-mŏn] is an after-school math and reading program that helps children fulfill their potential by motivating them to achieve more on their own. The learning method uses a systematic and individualized approach that helps children develop a solid command of math and reading skills. Through daily practice and mastery of materials, students increase confidence, improve concentration and develop better study skills. Kumon has 26,000 Centers in 46 countries and more than four million students studying worldwide. For more information, please visit www.kumon.com.

About Harris Interactive

Harris Interactive is a global leader in custom market research. With a long and rich history in multimodal research that is powered by science and technology, the company assists clients in achieving business results. Harris Interactive serves clients globally through North American, European and Asian offices and a network of independent market research firms. For more information, please visit www.harrisinteractive.com.

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