Book reading: No decline over the last 65 years.

Book reading: No decline over the last 65 years.

Sent to the Washington Post, Nov 1

It is quite true that "Teens haven't shelved reading for pleasure," (Oct. 31). In fact, there's been no decline in book reading over the last 65 years. The Kaiser study described in the Post article reported that 15-18 year olds averaged 21 minutes a day of book reading. Back in 1946, Link and Hopf, in their book People and Books, reported that those ages 15 to 19 averaged 22 minutes a day of book reading.

Book reading is doing very well, despite increased school pressure today and so much competition from various new kinds of electronic entertainment.

Stephen Krashen

Original article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/31/AR2010103103673.html?nav=emailpage