[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 135 (Thursday, September 8, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1222]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 ``TURN THE PAGE'' LITERACY INITIATIVE

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                              HON. TED POE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 8, 2016

  Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, every summer youth without access to 
books lose academic skills, while those who are reading continue to 
make progress in developing their proficiency. Studies show that summer 
learning loss is a significant cause of the achievement gap between 
lower- and higher-income youth. Students from low-income households 
learn at the same rate as their peers while school is in session, but 
while middle- and upper-income students show slight gains in their 
reading performance after the summer months, lower income students 
experience a two-month loss in reading achievement.
   It is what teachers refer to as the ``summer slide'' or ``summer 
setback.'' This loss is cumulative: while teachers spend 4 to 6 weeks 
re-teaching material to the students who have fallen behind over the 
summer, other students are progressing with their skills. The result? 
By the end of the sixth grade, children who lose reading skills during 
the summer are on average 2 years behind their peers. Even more 
startling is the conclusion of University of Nevada research, which has 
shown that students without access to books are less likely to complete 
their basic education.
   The simple fact is that there are fewer opportunities for daily 
summer reading when both parents are away at work. Without access to 
books, our kids fall behind.
   My daughter teaches English at Baylor University. She has dedicated 
her life to edifying the young people of this country by instilling in 
them a love for reading, and for the intellectual tradition it gives 
them access to. This love needs to start early, and the inheritance of 
that tradition should be accessible to all Americans. That is why I am 
proud of the efforts of KHOU and Star Furniture, who are rolling out a 
new community effort to increase the literacy rate in Houston. They are 
soliciting donations for the non-profit group ``Books Between Kids,'' 
which provides at-risk children with books that they can keep in their 
home. We need more programs like this in our country.

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