Families Overlook Importance of Reading Together

Tips for Parents to Help Children Develop Strong Reading Habits
TEANECK, N.J.--(Business Wire)--
Reading as a family activity is less important to U.S. and Canadian parents when
compared to other listed activities according to a recent online survey.

"As U.S. literacy rates worsen, parents need to make daily reading a priority
for themselves and their children. Our society cannot afford a generation that
doesn`t enjoy reading," says Dr. Mary Mokris, education specialist for Kumon
Math and Reading Learning Centers. "Reading as a family drives home the need for
literacy at every age."

The survey for Kumon, conducted by Harris Interactive found that activities such
as playing outside, watching a movie and eating together were more important to
today`s families than reading together.

Nevertheless, 96 percent of U.S. and Canadian parents recognize the importance
of having strong reading skills for school and as an adult.

"The study suggests that parents do value reading but have difficulty
incorporating it into their families` lives," says Dr. Mokris. "Spending as
little as 15 minutes a day reading together helps children of any age improve
literacy, analytical and lifelong learning skills while fostering a love for the
English language."

Getting a child to read can be challenging, but parents can learn new ways to
make it fun and enjoyable. Dr. Mokris offers the following low-cost tips to help
parents promote literacy at home.

1) Bring reading home - Create a reading area in your house that has comfortable
furniture, good lighting and most importantly, reading materials. Stock this
area with magazines, newspapers, and books that your children will enjoy, such
as how-to books, mysteries, comedies, reference books or even fairytales. Look
for books that the whole family can enjoy reading together. The local library,
used bookstores and yard sales are great places to find books.

2) Start a book club - Start a parent/child book club to motivate your child to
read with their friends. Parents can learn more about their child`s interests
and children will get more comfortable reading and sharing in front of peers.

3) Read the book, watch the movie and discuss - Watch a movie based on a book
you have read. It gives children and adults an opportunity to discuss the
content, dilemmas and moral implications of the story. Also consider reading a
book based on a movie your child enjoys. It can provide additional information
while revisiting the tale in a different format. This combination sharpens both
comprehension and decoding abilities, two of the most important skills for
learning.

4) Physical Reading - Make reading a part of your outdoor playtime. Read to your
child and ask him to act out what he has just heard. Older children can read a
play and then perform it for the family. These practices help foster a genuine
interest in reading and can strengthen his comprehension and analytical skills.

5) Read and Explore - Turn family day trips or local excursions into a fun
learning opportunity. Have each family member choose an area attraction that
they would like to visit. Have older children read about the area and play tour
guide for the day. For younger children, choose a book that brings the
destination to life. If you are visiting Washington D.C., choose a children`s
book about George Washington. This will show children that reading allows one to
travel the world.

6) Play games that involve reading - Games bring reading for fun into your
child`s life. Play the child-friendly version of your favorite trivia game and
ask your child to keep the cards that have information in which she took
interest. Later, your family can make a trip to the library together to find a
book on the topic.

Need help selecting books that appeal to your child`s interests or reading
ability? Kumon Math and Reading Learning Centers offers a free Kumon Recommended
Reading List, which includes a range of 350 titles for any reading level.
Students can find books on anything from sports to science or adventure books. A
number of books have multicultural themes. The list also highlights a section of
books that are perfect for parents to read aloud with their younger children.
Stop by a local Kumon Center for your copy. For locations, visit www.kumon.com
or call 800-ABC-MATH.

Survey Methodology

The two surveys cited here were conducted online within the United States and
Canada by Harris Interactive on behalf of Kumon Math and Reading Centers between
August 13-19, 2008 among 2,424 U.S. adults aged 18 and older, of which 1,100
were parents of children of any age and among 1,003 Canadian adults aged 18 and
older, of which 473 were parents of children of any age. For the U.S. and
Canadian adults aged 18 and over, data were weighted using propensity score
weighting to be representative of the total U.S. and Canadian adult population
on the basis of region, age within gender, education, household income,
race/ethnicity, and propensity to be online within each country. No estimates of
theoretical sampling error can be calculated; a full methodology is available.

About Kumon Math and Reading Centers

Kumon [koo-mŏn] is an after-school math and reading program that helps children
fulfill their potential by motivating them to achieve more on their own. The
learning method uses a systematic and individualized approach that helps
children develop a solid command of math and reading skills. Through daily
practice and mastery of materials, students increase confidence, improve
concentration and develop better study skills. Kumon has 26,000 Centers in 46
countries and more than four million students studying worldwide. For more
information, please visit www.kumon.com.

About Harris Interactive

Harris Interactive is a global leader in custom market research. With a long and
rich history in multimodal research that is powered by science and technology,
the company assists clients in achieving business results. Harris Interactive
serves clients globally through North American, European and Asian offices and a
network of independent market research firms. For more information, please visit
www.harrisinteractive.com.

Kumon
US Southwest
Kelly McCleary, 310-225-2968 ext. 234
kmccleary@kumon.com
or
US Northwest
Jake Shakhman, 310-225-2968 ext. 228
jshakhman@kumon.com
or
US East
Caitlin McHugh, 201-928-0444 ext. 456
cmchugh@kumon.com
or
US South
Johanna Beeler, 678-244-6284 ext. 299
jbeeler@kumon.com
or
US Midwest
Rasheda Williams, 248-290-0450 ext. 233
rwilliams@kumon.com
or
National
Jenny Cherrytree, 310-225-2968 ext. 226
jcherrytree@kumon.com

Copyright Business Wire 2009