A new study finds that growing up in a house full of books is a major boost to literacy and numeracy. Books in the home are an integral part of routines and practices that enhance lifelong learning. 

While the average number of books in a home library differed from country to country – from 27 in Turkey to 143 in the UK and 218 in Estonia – “the total effects of home library size on literacy are large everywhere,” write Sikora and her colleagues in the research paper published in the journal Social Science Research.

“Adolescent exposure to books is an integral part of social practices that foster long-term cognitive competencies spanning literacy, numeracy and ICT skills,” they write. “Growing up with home libraries boosts adult skills in these areas beyond the benefits accrued from parental education or own educational or occupational attainment.”

Read More at The Guardian
Photo Credit: Susquehanna Waldorf School