Reading at Risk Key Findings

Reading at Risk describes ten “key findings” about the state of literary reading in the United States. These ten findings are the following:

1. Literary reading among American adults has declined sharply over the last twenty years.
2. The decline in literary reading reflects a total decline in reading of all kinds.
3. Literary reading is declining at an accelerated pace.
4. Although women tend to read more literary works than men do, both groups show decline in their reading habits.
5. The decline in literary reading is significant among Caucasian, African American, and Hispanic populations.
6. The decline in literary reading is present across educational levels.
7. The decline in literary reading is present across age levels.
8. The sharpest decline in literary reading is among the youngest age groups surveyed.
9. As literary reading drops, participation in community and cultural activities is also expected to drop.
10. The decline in literary reading correlates with the increased use of electronic media (Internet, video games, etc.).

College admissions professionals like to see well-read young people join the ranks of their students. Here are many of the fiction titles that appear consistently on suggested reading lists for college-bound students. These include titles from both American and world literature.