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Indicator: Parent/Guardian Involvement in Child's Learning

Data and Data Discussion provided by Communities Count

Figure 1: Percent of Households Where Children Were Read or Told Stories

Figure 2: Percent Read or Told Stories, by Region

Figure 3: Percent Read or Told Stories, by Education Level

Figure 4: Percent Read or Told Stories by Household Income and Relationship Status

Sustainability Snapshot:

Reading to young children promotes language development and, later on, reading comprehension and overall success in school. Reading stories and/or telling stories in any language assists young children to be prepared for school. Washington State ranks 12th in the percentage of families reading to their young children daily according to a 2007 survey. (1) A significantly higher percentage of King County families (84%) read to their young children daily than is the case for Washington State families as a whole (54%).

Sustainability Trend:

There were no significant changes between 2001, 2004, and 2007 in the King County or regional percentages. Eighty-four percent (84%) of King County families with young children either read or told stories to their young children every day in 2004.

Data Discussion

The Indicator Defined

Percent of Households with Children Age 2-5 Where Children Were Read or Told Stories Every Day by a Family Member

Data Interpretation/Evaluation

In a 2007 survey of King County households with young children, 84% reported that family members read aloud to their child(ren) ages 2 to 5 every day in the last week. 84% of King County families with young children either read or
told stories to their young children every day in 2007.

The percent reporting reading or telling stories rose in Seattle between 2001 and 2007. In 2007, the percentage in Seattle was higher than the North and South Regions. Although the percentages in the other regions appear to have changed, these changes are not statistically significant.

Data Source and Limitations

Local data were contributed by Communities Count (www.communitiescount.org) and are from the King County Community Health Survey, 1999, 200, 2004 and 2007. In the 2001, 2004 and 2007 local surveys, a random sample of households with children age birth-5 was drawn. The respondent was the person who knew most about the child’s care. In 1999, a random sample of all households was drawn and there was random selection of the respondent from all adults living in the household.

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Additional Resources

  • (1) Reading Across the Nation: A Chartbook 2007
    An early childhood education resource, presenting "reading snapshots" for each state, with comparative rankings on literacy indicators. Research conducted by Reach Out and Read National Center, UCLA Center for Healthier Children, Families, and Communities and Boston University School of Medicine.