[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 22 (Thursday, March 2, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Page S1115]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        READ ACROSS AMERICA DAY

 Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, it is especially appropriate that 
the Senate is debating education reform today, because today is Read 
Across America Day. The National Education Association deserves great 
credit for bringing together the nation's leading education, literacy, 
and community organizations to help children in communities across the 
Nation experience the joy of reading.
  Reading is the foundation of learning and the golden door to 
opportunity. But too many children fail to read at an acceptable level. 
For students who don't learn to read well in the early years of 
elementary school, it is virtually impossible to keep up in the later 
years. That's why literacy programs are so important. They give young 
children practical opportunities to learn to read and practice reading. 
We also need to do all we can to encourage children and parents to read 
together. That's why Read Across America Day is so important.
  I am also proud of other programs that take place throughout the year 
to encourage reading. In October 1998, Congress passed the Reading 
Excellence Act to provide competitive reading and literacy grants to 
states. The purpose of the program is to help high-need schools teach 
children to read in their early childhood years. In addition to 
classroom instruction, the program helps teachers to improve their 
teaching. It also expands the number of high-quality family literacy 
programs, works with local and national organizations to ensure that 
children have access to books, and provides early literacy assistance 
for children with reading difficulties.
  Last August, Massachusetts was one of only 17 states to receive funds 
under this competitive grant. The Massachusetts Department of Education 
distributed these funds to local school districts throughout the State. 
The program builds on the America Reads initiative. In 1996, President 
Clinton and First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton designed a new effort to 
call national attention to child literacy by proposing the ``America 
Reads Challenge,'' which encourages colleges and universities to 
earmark a portion of their Work-Study funds for college students 
willing to serve as literacy tutors. Institutions of higher education 
across Massachusetts are already creating strong ties with surrounding 
communities, and participation in the initiative enhances those 
relationships. Today, over 1,000 colleges and universities across the 
country are committed to the President's ``America Reads Work Study 
Program,'' and 73 of these institutions are in Massachusetts. I'm proud 
of the strong national commitment that we are making to help every 
child read well. By working together, we can make a significant 
difference for children across the country.
  Last year I celebrated ``Read Across America Day'' with students from 
Squantum Elementary School in Massachusetts. The students and teachers 
have an excellent slogan--``Drop Everything and Read.'' For at least 15 
minutes a day, the school does just that. But if we truly want to help 
all children learn to read early and well, every day should be Read 
Across America Day.

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