Study Suggests Home Libraries Could Help Develop Literacy And Numeracy Skills In Growing Children

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By Mayukh Saha / Truth Theory

Books are the seat of all knowledge. We are aware of this. Bibliophiles or people who have grown up with books tend to be more intelligent. Or at least, they seem so. Well, now, it is no longer a conjecture that people who have lived off books or have born within them are intelligent. A recent study called Scholarly culture: How books in adolescence enhance adult literacy, numeracy and technology skills in 31 societies led by Dr. Joanna Sikora of the Australian National University suggests the same. The study found out that children who grew up in households with 80 books or more had better skills with numbers andbetter overall literacy. A home library and a family which is pro-reading helps to develop these essential skills in a child. 

The study found that the number of books on average in a household of the United States was about 114 which is quite a decent number. The study was conducted from 2011 to 2015 and it was conducted on 160,000 adults. Households that had 80 or more books were found to rear members who were much better in numeracy and literacy as well as skills of information communication technology (ICT). They become quite technologically skilled in schools too and almost like university graduates, as per the study. This skill increase was noticed among children who had come up from households with 80-350 books.

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You might ask the question of digital books or digital library. The study bypasses that saying that it is still in a premature state. As of now, the study focuses on material books and also, suggests that it will remain so for a few years as a metric for the increase in ICT knowledge. 

How Does A Home Library Assist?

According to the study, a pro-learning environment can help create a mindset that accepts more knowledge and makes it even more curious. It helps in developing long-term cognitive skills. Reading also helps in creating routine and practices in the reader and therefore, develops more numerical and literacy skills.

As the study shows that university graduates who did not grow up with books have average skills, it suggests that adolescents growing up with books have a better crack at topping in maths and other literacy tests, thereby getting an educational advantage. So, if you are worried about how to give your child the best higher education, having books around can help them significantly. On the other hand, if you are trying to get your child to college, then books can make them more capable of getting the full benefit of this education and reach their full potential.

IMAGE CREDIT: akz

 

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