The phrase "the three Rs" (reading, riting, and rithmetic) originated in England at the beginning of the 19th century. It is widely attributed to a toast made around 1807 by Sir William Curtis, a London alderman, though the fundamental trio of core educational skills dates back as far as ancient times. These core skills appeared much earlier in history. For example, St. Augustine noted in his 4th-century work Confessions about learning to read, write, and do arithmetic (legere et scribere et numerare discitur).
Despite reading being first in the core skills, in 2024-2025 only 40% of children tested in the US are reading at or above grade level. The reasons are many including the pandemic and the use of our multiple devices. Unfortunately, since the pandemic ended the reading levels have not increased. While part of the role dyslexia plays in not reading at grade level is significant, only 20% or less of children are dyslexic.
Reading is good for both children and adults. Reading shapes a child’s brain by building stronger nerve pathways, growing white matter tracts, and increasing the surface area of the cortex. It connects areas of the brain that handle vision, language, and thinking, which helps children learn words faster, focus better, and understand others with more empathy.
Healthychildren.org has an article about ways to encourage reading for pleasure. The first would be to start reading to the baby before birth and then regularly during infancy for quiet soothing time. This grows into quiet bedtime stories.
Next is modeling good reading behavior by the parents in a comfortable reading environment, maybe a cozy corner with comfortable furniture and lighting. Reading together and talking about the story helps bring the stories to life. All reading is good reading. Everything goes, fiction, comic books, children's magazines, cookbooks, newspapers.
Books help parents teach standards of kindness, expressions of emotion, differences in cultures, etc. Several organizations such as Reach out and Read and the American Academy of Pediatrics’ healthychildren.org have an excellent list of books, organized by age and subject matter. Titles of examples under teaching kindness for preschoolers & early grades are Stand in my Shoes, for middle grades is Queenie Peavy and teens is Freak the Mighty. These lists are extensive.
Local libraries will have many of these books and if not, they can possibly order them for you or suggest similar books. The same goes for local bookstores.
Published 08/2026
Sally Robinson, MD
Clinical Professor
Keeping Kids Healthy
Also See:
UTMB Pediatrics |
Pediatric Primary Care |