As a catholic are you encouraged to read the Bible?

My mother who is now 80 was brought up a catholic, going to church 3 times on sunday, going to confession and attending a convent school and being taught by nuns. Once when talking about the Bible she revealed that as a Catholic they were never taught or encouraged to read the Bible and that she doesn't know much about it. She is a lapsed Catholic and didn't bring her children up with any religion.