[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 130 (Friday, August 1, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1668]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       IN HONOR OF THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE MEGASKILLS PROGRAM

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                         HON. MICHAEL N. CASTLE

                              of delaware

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 31, 2008

  Mr. CASTLE. Madam Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise 
today to recognize the MegaSkills program on its program's 20th 
anniversary. The MegaSkills program helps parents and guardians assist 
their children in reaching their academic potential by providing a 
clear road map and guidelines to success.
  The MegaSkills program was created in the 1988 by Dorothy Rich, a 
resident of Sussex County, DE. The program was started with the goal of 
teaching families how to help their children succeed. Based on the idea 
that family involvement is fundamental to learning, the program is 
designed to instruct families on how to instill habits and behaviors in 
their children that make up the ``Never-ending Report Card'' which 
includes confidence, motivation, effort, responsibility, caring, 
teamwork, and others.
  When I served as Delaware's Governor, I had the privilege of visiting 
the town of Seaford to honor the teachers, students, and families who 
participated in one of the first MegaSkills programs. It was clear even 
then that MegaSkills had tapped into one of the secrets of early 
education: parents and guardians who are involved in their child's 
education at home ensure that they get the best education possible in 
the schools.
  Over the years, the program has proven to be highly successful in 
early childhood education and is now used in over 4,000 rural and urbn 
schools across the nation. Recently MegaSkills completed a new 
MegaSkills for Babies and Toddlers book to help parents ensure their 
children receive the best education possible. Furthermore, the program 
has been applied in various different languages to accommodate our 
diverse population.
  MegaSkills has demonstrated its success in increasing time students 
spend with their parents, their motivation on homework, and performance 
on standardized tests and I acknowledge and commend the MegaSkills 
Program for 20 years of successful dedication to improving education 
throughout the United States. The creators and administrators of this 
program understand what we all need to understand in order to improve 
our education system: strong families yield strong students with a 
passion for academic excellence. I am confident the MegaSkills program 
will continue to expand and benefit educating families nationwide.




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