Reading matters

Just as the number of words a pre-schooler hears before the age of five is important, so too is the amount of reading a student does.

In 2009, Kelly Gallagher, English teacher and writing project director in California, noted that “by providing a wide and deep reading experience, we actually help students raise their test scores.” This makes sense. We know that when adults read more, they know more. The same holds true for children, even for test taking.

For example, in a reading study of fifth graders conducted in 1998, researchers found a strong connection between time spent reading and stud...