Book Deserts: The Consequences of Income Segregation on Children’s Access to Print

Susan B. Neuman, Naomi Moland

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

We examine the influence of income segregation on a resource vital to young children’s development: a family’s access to books in early childhood. Income segregation reflects the growing economic segregation of neighborhoods for people living in privilege (1%) compared with those in poverty or near-poverty (20%). After describing recent demographic shifts, we examine access to print for children in six urban neighborhoods. Results indicate stark disparities in access to print for those living in concentrated poverty. We argue that such neighborhoods constitute “book deserts,” which may seriously constrain young children’s opportunities to come to school “ready to learn.”.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)126-147
Number of pages22
JournalUrban Education
Volume54
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 1 2019

Keywords

  • Urban Education
  • academic achievement
  • achievement gap
  • identity
  • literacy
  • poverty
  • reading
  • social
  • urban

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Education
  • Urban Studies

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Book Deserts: The Consequences of Income Segregation on Children’s Access to Print'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this