[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 16 (Monday, February 25, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Pages S994-S995]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          READ ACROSS AMERICA

  Ms. COLLINS. Madam President, I rise today with my good friend and 
colleague from Rhode Island, Senator Reed, to encourage parents and 
schools throughout our country to celebrate National Read Across 
America Day by reading to children. The resolution we submitted on 
February 15th asks parents to read to their children for at least 30 
minutes on March 2, the birthday of Dr. Seuss. The resolution also 
honors Dr. Seuss for his success in helping to open children to the 
joys of reading.
  Five years ago, the National Education Association conducted the 
first Read Across America Day by providing teachers with resources to 
celebrate reading. The day was intended to promote reading activities 
not just on the day of the celebration, but throughout the year. Dr. 
Seuss' birthday was chosen for the celebration because, in the words of 
the NEA, ``he epitomizes a love of learning and his use of rhyme makes 
his books an effective tool for teaching young children the basic 
skills they need to be successful.''
  In the last 5 years, more than 40 national education and reading 
associations have joined the NEA in making Read Across America the 
largest celebration of reading in the world. Groups such as the 
American Library Association, the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, the 
International Reading Association, Reading is Fundamental, and the 
Screen Actors Guild all have assisted in raising the profile of reading 
education and making this day a tremendous success.

[[Page S995]]

  The importance of this day and this resolution is underscored by the 
challenge it addresses. Our Nation's early literacy problem is well 
documented. According to the National Institutes of Health, 
approximately 20 million school-age children have difficulty reading. 
Only approximately 2.3 million of these children are served in special 
education under the category of learning disabilities. The remaining 
17.7 million children who are poor readers do not meet the eligibility 
requirements for the learning disability category. Some are provided 
assistance in the form of compensatory education, but others are 
overlooked altogether.
  Often it is only after a child develops a significant problem that 
any intervention at all occurs. Typically, a child has reached the 
third or fourth grade before reading failure is diagnosed. At that 
point, what might have been a slight lag in learning had it been caught 
early has developed into a more serious and challenging learning 
disability. For students that have reached the third grade without the 
ability to read, every paragraph, every assignment, every day in the 
classroom is a struggle. They constantly battle embarrassment and 
feelings of inadequacy, fearing that their classmates, their friends, 
will discover they cannot read. It is no wonder so many children 
without basic reading skills lose their natural curiosity and 
excitement for learning, for reading is the gateway to academic 
success.
  Last year, the President and Congress worked together to complete a 
major reform of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. With the 
enactment of the No Child Left Behind Act, two new programs, Reading 
First and Early Reading First, will bring new federal resources for 
reading instruction and early reading intervention. I am delighted that 
my Reading First proposal was incorporated into the final education 
reform package, and even more excited that nearly $1 billion in Federal 
funding has been allocated to this initiative in the first year. It is 
my hope the new services will reach children before a problem develops 
and before they fall too far behind their peers.
  Although I have great faith that these new programs will effectively 
reduce the rate of reading failure throughout our country, nothing can 
replace the learning that takes place between parents and their 
children. Much of the learning and preparation that make reading 
possible occurs long before a child ever sets foot in a classroom. 
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, children who 
were read to three or more times in a week by their parents are almost 
twice as likely to be able to identify every letter of the alphabet. 
They are also more likely to be able to count to 20, write their own 
names, and read or pretend to read. It delights me to see the 2-year-
old daughter of my chief of staff read to her stuffed animals. She 
takes a book, sits with them on the couch, and pretends to read them a 
story. When a child enters kindergarten already recognizing letters and 
familiar with books, she or he is better prepared to learn and less 
likely to encounter difficulty in learning to read.
  This year, the Maine Education Association is hosting festivities 
throughout the State on Read Across America Day, and I hope to attend 
Eliot Elementary School in York County this Friday to join in their 
celebration of reading. I encourage my colleagues not only to support 
this resolution, but also to make time to visit a classroom and help 
children discover the joys of reading. I can tell from first-hand 
experience that taking the time to read to children is not only a 
worthwhile investment but also a wonderful experience, and I know the 
Presiding Officer reads often to her twin sons and experiences that 
some joy. I have read to children in more than 70 schools across the 
State of Maine and never tire of the joy and satisfaction such 
experiences bring.
  I often read books by Maine authors, such as ``Blueberries for Sal,'' 
or ``Miss Rumphias'' to show children that they, too, can grow up to 
author books. I never tire of the joy and satisfaction of going into a 
classroom and reading to children. Indeed, Madam President, the last 
school I visited was the Edna Libby School in Standish, ME, a wonderful 
elementary school. I read to the students and I answered their 
questions. Then the reading coordinator presented me with a pin that I 
am wearing today. It is the ``Read Across America'' pin. It pictures 
the United States as well as Dr. Seuss's famous cat. That should be the 
inspiration for all of us.
  The NEA has graciously agreed to donate one dozen Dr. Seuss books to 
any school visited by a Senator on Friday, March 1. I congratulate the 
NEA for the success of its Read Across America Program, and I applaud 
all of our schoolteachers, librarians, and most of all, our parents, 
for their commitment for teaching reading.
  I hope we can pass this resolution this week in time for Reading 
Across America Day and bring even more attention to the benefits of 
parental involvement and reading to our children.
  Mr. REED. Madam President, I rise to join my colleague, Senator 
Collins, in support of a resolution to declare March 2nd Read Across 
America Day. We submitted this resolution, S. Res. 211, on February 15.
  Read Across America Day is an annual reading motivation and awareness 
program begun by the National Education Association, and supported by 
more than 40 national non-profit and association partners, including 
the American Library Association, American Association of School 
Librarians, Boys and Girls Clubs of America, Girl Scouts of the USA, 
International Reading Association, Learning First Alliance, the Library 
of Congress--Center for the Book National Institute for Literacy, 
National PTA, Reading Is Fundamental, and YMCA of the USA. The 
celebration includes activities in schools, libraries, and communities 
across the nation that bring reading excitement to children of all 
ages.
  March 2nd is a fitting day for such a celebration of reading, since 
it is the birthday of Theodore Geisel, otherwise known as Dr. Seuss, 
the beloved children's author and illustrator. His books have inspired, 
and continue to inspire, generations of children to discover the joy of 
reading. Moreover, Dr. Seuss' inventive use of rhyme make his books an 
enormously effective tool for teaching basic reading skills to 
children.
  According to the latest results of the National Assessment of 
Educational Progress (NAEP), from 1992 to 2000 the reading scores of 
fourth graders remained flat. What is most alarming is that the gap 
between the highest and lowest achieving students is widening--the 
average score for top students increased, while the average score for 
bottom students declined even more significantly.
  These results indicate that our students need a great deal of help to 
learn to read and achieve. Addressing the reading deficiency of our 
Nation's students is essential, and clearly an area where Federal 
resources and support can bring about positive change.
  This is why I was pleased to join Senator Collins in supporting the 
inclusion of the Reading First and Early Reading First programs in the 
No Child Left Behind Act signed into law earlier this year. These 
programs provide professional development for teachers to improve 
reading instruction and support reading initiatives for younger 
children. Coupled with resources for up-to-date and engaging school 
library books through the Improving Literacy Through School Libraries 
program, which I authored and offered with Senator Collins as an 
amendment to the No Child Left Behind Act, we are taking steps to boost 
children's reading skills and love for reading.
  I urge my colleagues to join us in supporting this resolution in 
order to show our commitment to the importance of literacy and to 
celebrate the joy of reading.

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