Italy expands #ioleggoperché reading project to nursery schools

The Associazione Italiana Editori (AIE) and Fondazione Cariplo are expanding the #ioleggoperché project to all Italian nursery schools. This initiative aims to combat educational poverty by promoting reading aloud from the earliest months of life, ensuring access to culture as a fundamental right rather than a privilege.

Data indicates that literacy gaps often begin in infancy; currently, over one in two infants between 2 and 5 months old are not exposed to reading aloud weekly. This issue has significant implications for public health, as the Istituto Superiore di Sanità monitors family reading frequency as a developmental indicator.

The initiative arrives amid concerns regarding functional literacy. According to OECD data, 37% of Italian adults aged 25 to 64 fall below minimum literacy levels, compared to an OECD average of 27%. Experts emphasize that building linguistic and cognitive foundations in the first years of life is essential to preventing long-term educational deficits.