Children improve their reading ability by reading a lot.
Reading achievement is directly related to the amount of reading children do in school and outside. Independent reading increases both vocabulary and reading flu- ency. But Ameri- can children do not spend much time reading independently at school or at home. In the average elementary school, for exam- ple, children spend just 7 to 8 minutes a day reading silently. At home, half of all fifth graders spend only 4 minutes a day reading.