At Book Dash our work is big and bold, but it’s also supported by a significant body of research: Giving young children access to high-quality, relevant books to own is strongly associated with positive behavioural, educational, and socio-emotional outcomes. The closer to birth we start, the greater the benefit.
Global and local research indicate time and again that children who own books before school have a measurable headstart in key developmental areas, and that learning differences are cemented before children enter formal schooling. However, globally there remains a significant gap between children who own books and those who don’t. Levels of book ownership are critically low, especially in impoverished communities and this links to low levels of literacy. The good news is that we can address this by getting books into children’s hands and homes!
The below report brings together the evidence, showing what impact early years book ownership can make to a child’s early development, trajectory and chances of success. It is intended for use by anyone interested in improving literacy, education, parenting and development outcomes.
Download the full report or the one-page summary. Use it to inform your work or help you advocate for support.
- Children who have a book of their own are 15 times more likely to read above the level expected for their age, than those who don’t own a book. (National Literacy trust, 2017)
- Having books in the home gives children a measurable advantage at school, equal to 3.2 more years of schooling, even when controlled for other key factors such as income and parents’ education. (Evans et al, 2010.)
- Access to books impacts positively on the reading achievement of economically disadvantaged children. (Newman, S. et al., 2000)
- A home library can promote reading and maths skills more than college alone can. (Sikora et al, 2019)
