[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 7]
[House]
[Pages 9223-9224]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



           A CHILD'S SUCCESS IS DEPENDENT ON ABILITY TO READ

  (Mr. GIBBONS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, a child's success in school and, indeed, in 
life is dependent upon his or her ability to read. Unfortunately, 
reading scores in most States have remained flat or even

[[Page 9224]]

dropped over the last 8 years, and the reading achievement gap between 
white students and minority students has widened even further.
  These disappointing results are yet more evidence that simply 
spending more money on education does not necessarily improve student 
achievement.
  President Bush's Reading First Initiative gives States both the funds 
and the tools they need to eliminate the reading deficit. It focuses on 
effective proven methods of reading instruction based on proven 
scientific research.
  Research continues to show that reading failure has devastating 
effects on self-esteem, social development, and opportunities for 
advanced education and meaningful employment. By funding effective 
reading instruction programs, President Bush's plan, H.R. 1, ensures 
that more children will receive the help they need before they fall 
further behind.

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