Read Across America Day. But reading is also important the other 364 days of the year. It is the foundation upon which all other learning is built.
Low literacy is closely related to unemployment, poverty and crime.
According to the National Institute for Literacy, four in 10 Americans with low reading skills live in poverty, and 70 percent of the prison population falls into the two lowest levels of reading proficiency. And the Institute also notes that 75 percent of today's jobs require at least a ninth grade reading level. And remember, kids love rhyme and repetition. Give children something to look forward to by reading to them every day at the same time. There's no better way to teach new words and ideas.