
The study, by the Institute of Education, London University, examined the reading habits of 6,000 children. They analyzed the results of tests taken at the age of 16 by 6,000 children, all born in one week, from the 1970 British Cohort Study.
This seems a long time ago. I wonder if the same results would apply to children of our age. So many changes have taken place, with computers, more television, and hand-held screens. I notice Amazon are showing children reading from kindles in their latest television advertising.
The result of the study indicated reading for pleasure was more important to a child's development than how educated their parents were. The researchers concluded a wide vocabulary helped children absorb information across the curriculum.
The findings showed readers at the age of 10, who had been reading books and newspapers more than once a week right through to age 16, performed better than those who had read less. Read More.

Once again, studies show the likelihood of a strong reading ability enabling children to absorb and understand new information and affect their attainment in all subjects.
The next study should be how to interest potential gangsters in reading for pleasure. Here, I think parenting skills could play an adverse role in setting bad models of behavior. Not always, though. My children loved to read and developed high IQ's. Yet one of them turned to crime. So, far be it for me to judge other parents. I know the heartache and the shame it can cause when your child throws off everything you have taught them.
Here are excerpts from letters written over several years before my son's death at age 28 years:
I am still the same son you know. I am just harder of heart and more callous toward the world and its contents. It may not help my afterlife, but I now have a place in this one. My only real enemies are those in blue, and because I have really long hair, they don't even like the look of me. [...]
[...another...]I thank you for all the time you patiently spent bringing me up. I thank you for loving me through all the times when perhaps you didn't feel like it. And last but more important, I thank you for the side of my personality which just loves, and is seen by everyone no matter what I am up to, where I am, or what I am doing. I know also, that some of this was naturally in me, but, like my artwork, it was carefully matured so as one day both may have a chance to play their parts in my life.
Yours with great love and adoration, [...].