A Library in the Palm of Your Hand? A Randomized Reading Intervention with Low-Income Children

Silke Anger, Bernhard Christoph (), Agata Galkiewicz, Shushanik Margaryan (), Frauke Peter (), Malte Sandner and Thomas Siedler
Additional contact information
Bernhard Christoph: Institute for Employment Research (IAB), Nuremberg
Agata Galkiewicz: University of Potsdam
Shushanik Margaryan: University of Potsdam
Frauke Peter: DZHW-German Centre for Research on Higher Education and Science Studies

No 17322, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

Abstract: Reading skills are crucial for academic success and long-term educational attainment. However, children from disadvantaged backgrounds read less than their more privileged peers. This study assesses the impact of a randomized reading intervention conducted in Germany targeting 11–12-year-olds from low-income households. The intervention involved distributing e-book readers, which provided free access to a large digital library of age-appropriate books, directly to the children's homes. Our results show that the intervention led to increased reading engagement among the children, which in turn improved their academic performance, particularly in reading comprehension and math. Additionally, we observe positive effects on their socio-emotional well-being.

Keywords: randomized controlled trial; low socioeconomic status; reading comprehension; early education (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C93 I20 I24 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 64 pages
Date: 2024-09
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-exp
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Working Paper: A Library in the Palm of your Hand? A Randomized Reading Intervention with Low-Income Children (2024)
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