OECD study shows low reading rates among Brazilian families

An OECD study reveals that 53% of Brazilian families rarely or never read books to their five-year-old children. Only 14% of parents engage in shared reading three to seven times per week, a figure significantly lower than the 54% international average.

The research, which surveyed 2,598 preschool children across schools in Ceará, Pará, and São Paulo, indicates that frequent reading is low even among wealthy families, where the rate does not exceed 25%.

Additionally, 50% of children in the study use digital devices daily, exceeding the international average of 46%. Researchers noted that children with daily screen use tend to have lower performance in reading, writing, and mathematics. While Brazilian children scored slightly above the international average in oral language and vocabulary, they scored below the average in mathematics.