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Fields Changed

Registration

Field Before After
Trial Status in_development completed
JEL Code(s) C93, I20, I24
Last Published November 15, 2021 11:55 AM November 05, 2025 05:46 AM
Additional Keyword(s) reading comprehension; educational inequality; mental health; labour-market transitions, spillover effects; reading motivation
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Documents

Field Before After
Document Name Research Strategy Phase 2
File
2nd Research Phase.pdf
MD5: a827567fc034f1bbafd1dc6b3311a796
SHA1: 83ddb5272e612ef6fdb52493414ae2544ed05de1
Description In this update, we add details about Wave 5 data collection, the consent question for linking our survey data to administrative data from the Institute for Employment Research (IAB), and new primary and secondary outcome variables. In addition, we provide an overview of the questions included in our Child Questionnaire (Wave 5) and of our Parental Questionnaire (Wave 5).
Public Yes
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Other Primary Investigators

Field Before After
Affiliation University of Potsdam
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Papers

Field Before After
Paper Abstract 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 significant increase in reading engagement, leading to improvements in academic performance. 12 months after the start of the intervention, academic performance improved by 10.3% of a standard deviation, with eects persisting at 9.6% after 30 months. Additionally, the intervention positively impacted the socioemotional well- being of the children.
Paper Citation A Library in the Palm of Your Hand? A Randomized Field Experiment with Low-Income Children. IZA DP No. 17322. March 2025.
Paper URL https://docs.iza.org/dp17322.pdf
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