[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 12]
[House]
[Page 15676]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     COMMENDING REACH OUT AND READ

  (Mr. WILSON of South Carolina asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, this August during an 
annual district bus tour, I will have the opportunity to read aloud to 
children participating in the Reach Out and Read program.
  Reach Out and Read is a nonprofit organization that partners with 
medical institutions to promote a partnership between early childhood 
literacy and pediatric care. The organization trains doctors and nurses 
in the importance of early literacy. During checkups, each child age 6 
months to 5 years is given a new book, and parents are encouraged to 
read aloud to them. As of June 2006, there were nearly 3,000 Reach Out 
and Read programs nationwide, benefiting 2.5 million children annually.
  As a member of the Education and the Workforce Committee, ably led by 
Chairman Buck McKeon, I am all too aware of the school readiness issues 
facing our Nation. Organizations such as Reach Out and Read are to be 
commended for their efforts to prepare better our Nation's children for 
success at school and in life.
  In conclusion, God bless our troops, and we will never forget 
September 11.

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