Books in the home more useful than a degree
A CHILDHOOD surrounded by books is as good for the mind as a university degree, a new study has found.
BEING surrounded by books in the home during adolescence may be as good for the brain as a university education, a new study shows.
The study published in Social Science Research of 31 countries, including Australia, examined data from 162,955 subjects in long-term literacy, numeracy and digital skills.
It found that adults whose education ended at Year 9, but who spent their teen years in homes with large libraries, had similar test results to university graduates whose homes were empty of books.
The size of home libraries varied between countries, but the average was 115 books.
In Norway, libraries had on average 212 books, while in Australia it was 148.
Thebarton’s Emma Coyle, 34, grew up in a home full of books, as are her children Violet, 4, and Augie, 2.
The family has more than 1500 books in their library.
While she didn’t go to university, Ms Coyle said she had always loved books and reading.
“(My husband and I) are both readers,’’ the band manager said.
“We have lots of graphic novels; I’m into fiction, authors like Margaret Atwood and Jeffrey Eugenides. My husband is into history.
“The kids have always loved books, we read two books with them every night and we only got a TV this year.
“I think having lots of books definitely fosters a love of reading, they want to read all the time.”
Researchers say the exact means by which the presence of books in the home improves learning outcomes remains inconclusive.
But they say explanations worthy of further investigation included the availability of the books, children following their parents' examples, and family practices, such as storytelling, imaginative play and charades.
Archicentre Australia director Peter Georgiev said there was still demand for libraries in homes.
“In living spaces — bookshelves integrated into built fabric is always the icing on the cake as they provide opportunities — not just for books, but for display — for all to see the array and interests of homeowners,” he said.