Reading for Pleasure Declines Sharply Among U.S. Schoolchildren, Education Department Data Shows
A National Center for Education Statistics report found that the share of 13-year-olds reading for fun has declined by nearly half since 2012, while 9-year-olds have seen a 16 percentage point drop over 13 years. The survey of over 30,000 students is part of the government's long-running assessment of math and reading proficiency. The decline matters because research shows reading for pleasure correlates with higher standardized test scores, particularly for students who read daily.
According to data released Wednesday by the Education Department's National Center for Education Statistics, reading for pleasure among American schoolchildren has declined significantly over the past decade. The share of 13-year-olds who read for fun has dropped by nearly half since 2012, while 9-year-olds have experienced a 16 percentage point decline over 13 years. The survey included responses from more than 30,000 students and is part of the government's nationwide assessment program that has tracked student achievement since the 1970s. Despite the overall decline, younger children still report reading more frequently than teenagers—37% of 9-year-olds said they read for fun almost every day in 2025, compared to lower rates among 13-year-olds. The report indicates a strong correlation between reading for pleasure and higher standardized test scores, with the most significant gains observed among students who read daily. The findings come amid broader national efforts to reduce screen time in schools.
What's missing
The article does not explain potential causes for the decline in reading for pleasure (e.g., increased screen time, changes in curriculum, socioeconomic factors) or discuss what specific interventions might reverse the trend. Additionally, while the report correlates reading for pleasure with higher test scores, the article does not clarify whether this is a causal relationship or merely an association.
What different sources said
- NBC NewsLeft
Reading for pleasure is sharply down among schoolkids, report shows
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