TY  - RPRT
        AU  - Anger, Silke
AU  - Christoph, Bernhard
AU  - Galkiewicz, Agata
AU  - Margaryan, Shushanik
AU  - Peter, Frauke
AU  - Sandner, Malte
AU  - Siedler, Thomas
        TI  - A Library in the Palm of Your Hand?  A Randomized Field Experiment with Low-Income Children
        PY  - 2024/Sep/
        PB  - Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)
        CY  - Bonn
        T2  - IZA Discussion Paper
        IS  - 17322
        UR  - https://www.iza.org/publications/dp17322
        AB  - 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.
        KW  - reading comprehension
KW  - low socioeconomic status
KW  - randomized controlled trial
KW  - early education
        ER  -