Post-pandemic, children’s daily reading levels have plummeted to their lowest ever, with just 25% saying they read daily. With children’s reading proficiency proven to be directly correlated with adulthood consequences, from low salaries to prison time, what are the easiest ways to make reading fun again - especially in an age of constant screen-time distractions?
GoKidGo is the first publisher to offer free narrative podcasts for children in an Avengers-style imaginative universe. Its mission is to provide screen-free entertainment to expand the imaginations of children, especially given the proven correlation between children who listen to podcasts and children who read. Children who listen to podcasts enjoy reading more (47.8% compared to 40.8%) and read daily more (30.4% compared to 27%) compared with those who don’t.
I had a chance to interview GoKidGo Founder Patrick Carman, New York Times bestselling author and writer of 40 children’s books. He explains how immersive audio educational content can enhance children’s literacy rates, increase test scores, improve cognition, and strengthen social and emotional learning skills.
- What are some long-reaching effects of low literacy levels?
Literacy is an important measure of community success, and the decreasing trend in reading proficiency over the past few year is a big concern. According to the US Department of Education Early Childhood Literacy Gap report, children who are not reading at a proficient level by 4th grade are four times more likely to drop out of high school. This is one of the primary reasons I write books for kids: to get them hooked on reading by the fourth grade.
From a national standpoint, low literacy rates have a long-reaching economic impact; high school drop-outs annually cost the US more than $240 billion in lost earnings, lost tax revenues and expenses to social services. But the greatest and most tragic impact of low literacy levels is almost certainly personal. Dropping out of high school increases the risks of poverty, causing strain within families and threatening the fabric of communities. One of the most sobering statistics pertaining to the long-reaching effects of low literacy levels is that three out of five people in American prisons can’t read. In fact, some states look at how well current elementary schools perform on reading to determine the number of beds future prisons will require. Instead of preparing prison beds, shouldn’t we be taking a more proactive approach as a society to improve literacy outcomes? This is certainly our philosophy at GoKidGo. Tackling literacy challenges in early childhood makes the best economic sense, empowers future generations, and supports overall community advancement.
- How can parents and caregivers promote literacy in their homes, even if they themselves don't have a high level of formal education?
I founded GoKidGo with my partners Maia Glikman and Jennifer Clary, because not all children have equal access to resources that promote literacy. Our company aims to level the playing field.
Currently, the average middle-class child is likely to own an average of 13 books whereas the average low-income neighborhood has one book available for every 300 children. And this matters deeply because the number of books in a home more strongly correlates to the eventual level of a child’s education than do the parents’ education level and/or economic standing.
Keeping this in mind, parents and caregivers can promote literacy in their homes regardless of their own education level or income by taking advantage of the following free resources:
- Your local library. Empower your child with a library card and provide them with ready access to books.
- GoKidGo podcasts. Subscribe to GoKidGo’s narrative podcasts on Apple or Spotify. We currently have three podcasts readily available at no cost: Bobby Wonder, Lucy Wow, and R.L. Stine’s Story Club. GoKidGo is an always-on audio content source for kids, providing a new and vital resource for closing the literacy gap. Podcasts engage the brain in much the same way as reading books and help young listeners become absorbed in stories without the barrier of difficult text. In fact, there is a strong correlation between children who listen to podcasts and children who read! More young people who listen to podcasts enjoy reading (47.8% compared to 40.8%) and read daily (30.4% compared to 27%) than peers who do not.
- Free downloadable guides. Take advantage of GoKidGo’s free resources to promote story comprehension. After your child listens to a Bobby Wonder, Lucy Wow, or R.L. Stine’s Story Club episode, go to https://www.gokidgo.com/
educators and download the discussion guide provided to promote family conversation and deepen your child’s understanding of the material. We provide the resources to promote literacy for free – parents and caregivers, please have at it!
- What are some ways that people can support intervention efforts to provide all kids with strong literacy skills?
One of the best ways you can support literacy in your local community is by becoming an active member of your local public library. The more people use public libraries, the more funding they receive and the more vital they become for families at every level of income. When parents are active participants with local libraries, every family wins.
Supporting new forms of literacy outreach is also an important driver for success. Podcasting is new for most kids, but it’s a powerful way to bridge the gap between screens and the world of books. And it’s easy to support podcasting, because it’s free! Simply listening and telling your friends about great shows for kids will help spread the word about this powerful new format for kids. You can find entertaining and educational podcasts at www.gokidgo.com – that’s what we’re all about!
“2/3 of students who cannot read proficiently by the end of 4th grade will end up in jail or on welfare,” Carman says. “Since 2003, I’ve been writing books for young readers and spending a lot of time on the road, meeting them where they’re at. More than 2500 school visits later, I can report from the field that kids still love books, even as a tidal wave of distraction tries to keep them from turning pages.”
With a star-studded celebrity cast and interconnected universe of podcasts—including RL Stine’s Story Club, Lucy Wow, and Bobby Wonder—GoKidGo’s “imagination audio” podcasts are accessible to all, as they are free, drop every Monday, and are available on Apple, Spotify, and all major podcast platforms.
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