What do 9-year-olds know that they forget by the time they're 17? The joy of reading. A new survey for the American Federation of Teachers and the Chrysler Corp. finds 86 percent of the younger group - but just 42 percent of the older - say they crack a book at least a few times a week.
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We're taking heart, though, from another finding: Eighty-three percent of the teens say they read newspapers. The sports pages are socially redeemed. Also, for parents of young children who want to get their kids off to a literate start, this tip: The active readers had parents who read to them daily when they were small, and they watch little TV.