[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 51 (Thursday, March 23, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Page S1978]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SENATE RESOLUTION 94--DESIGNATING MARCH 2017 AS ``NATIONAL READ ALOUD 
                                MONTH''

  Mr. PORTMAN (for himself and Ms. Harris) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary:

                               S. Res. 94

       Whereas medical experts have concluded that reading aloud 
     is the ``single most important'' activity in which parents 
     can participate in order to prepare their children to read 
     and learn;
       Whereas recent research has concluded that, by 3 years of 
     age, there is a gap in early brain development between 
     children whose parents read to them and children whose 
     parents do not;
       Whereas Congress has highlighted the importance of early 
     childhood literacy by including funding for State 
     comprehensive literacy plans and targeted funds toward early 
     childhood education programs in the Every Student Succeeds 
     Act (Public Law 114-95; 129 Stat. 1802);
       Whereas, in 2013, Read Aloud 15 MINUTES launched a decade-
     long national campaign highlighting the importance of reading 
     aloud to children, starting from birth; and
       Whereas Read Aloud 15 MINUTES now has more than 21 National 
     Leadership Partners and 10,000 grassroots partners, including 
     day care facilities, schools, libraries, health centers, and 
     rotary clubs in all 50 States: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates March 2017 as ``National Read Aloud Month''; 
     and
       (2) encourages parents and guardians to read to their 
     children for 15 minutes every day because of the 
     developmental benefits that activity has for children.

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