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IZA Discussion Paper No. 17322
September 2024
A Library in the Palm of Your Hand? A Randomized Field Experiment with Low-Income Children

This version: March 2025.

Reading comprehension is critical for academic success, yet children from disadvantaged backgrounds often engage in reading less frequently than their more advantaged peers. This study evaluates the impact of a randomized reading intervention targeting 11{12-year-olds from low-income households in Germany. As part of the intervention, children received e-book readers with access to a large digital library of age-appropriate books. The results show a signicant increase in reading engage- ment, leading to improvements in academic performance. 12 months after the start of the intervention, academic performance improved by 10.3% of a standard devia- tion, with eects persisting at 9.6% after 30 months. Additionally, the intervention positively impacted the socioemotional well-being of the children.

Communications
Mark Fallak
mark.fallak@liser.lu
+352 585-855-526
World of Labour
Olga Nottmeyer
olga.nottmeyer@liser.lu
+352 585-855-501
Network Coordination
Christina Gathmann
christina.gathmann@liser.lu

The IZA@LISER Network is a global community of scholars dedicated to excellence in labor economics and related fields, now coordinated at the Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research (LISER) following its transition from Bonn.

About IZA@LISER Network
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