However they figure this and whatever the real numbers are, I think the ratio is believable. These numbers are inexcusable on the part of the parents. I wonder whether there is a difference between the general case of children born in poverty and those born in places like DC where there are plenty of people in poverty, but also free access to a plethora of educational opportunities perhaps lacking in other parts of the country.
I don't think reading to a kid alone is sufficient to eliminate the gap, but it would almost certainly shorten it. I recall hearing on npr a few years back that the trait most common in national merit semi-finalists was that they came from families where people sit down at dinner and talk. (Something like that.) Something indicating frequent opportunities for two-way communication between adults and children.
k
