%0 Report
        %A Anger, Silke
%A Christoph, Bernhard
%A Galkiewicz, Agata
%A Margaryan, Shushanik
%A Peter, Frauke
%A Sandner, Malte
%A Siedler, Thomas
        %T A Library in the Palm of Your Hand?  A Randomized Field Experiment with Low-Income Children
        %D 2024
        %8 2024 Sep
        %I Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)
        %C Bonn
        %7 IZA Discussion Paper
        %N 17322
        %U https://www.iza.org/publications/dp17322
        %X 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.
        %K reading comprehension
%K low socioeconomic status
%K randomized controlled trial
%K early education