Message of the Day Reading is the cornerstone of a good education. Research continues to show that reading failure has devastating consequences on self-esteem, social development, as well as opportunities for education and meaningful employment. By focusing on effective, proven methods of reading instruction based on scientific research, Reading First will ensure that children get help early, when it’s most effective. The President’s Reading First initiative will enable parents and teachers to diagnose children at risk of falling behind in reading.

House-Senate Leaders Set to Ratify Agreements on Reading First

Today, House-Senate education leaders are expected to ratify a series of agreements reached over the August break, including President Bush’s Reading First and Early Reading First initiatives, which represent another important step toward improving early learning opportunities for disadvantaged children. Agreements on after school programs and a host of other issues are also among those expected to be approved.

President Bush has focused the nation’s attention on the reading crisis because reading is the cornerstone of learning. The National Center for Education Statistics recently reported that average scores for fourth-graders have shown no improvement over the past eight years (based on the National Assessment of Educational Progress). In addition, the 1998 NAEP results show that 40 percent of fourth graders cannot read at a basic level; that figure rises to 68 percent in the most impoverished schools. And a reading achievement gap still persists between whites and their minority peers.

Moreover, research has consistently shown that the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) program often wrongly labels minority children as needing special education simply because of reading deficiencies. Members of the conference are set to ratify Reading First agreements that will triple the funds available to states and local communities, authorizing $5 billion over the next five years on K-3 reading programs.

By funding effective reading instruction programs, the Bush plan ensures that more children will receive the help they need before they fall too far behind. Better reading programs also mean fewer children in special education and fewer children dropping out of high school.

• A recent University of Michigan study found that more than 20 percent of U.S. first-graders have severe reading difficulties. Of those children, nearly 3 in 4 are likely to remain poor readers. More than 10 million American children have trouble reading, the study found. (Laurence McQuillan, USA Today, July 26, 2001)
• The latest National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES) report found that the reading performance gap between high- and low-performing students widened over the last eight years.
• Title I programs for disadvantaged students received more than $80 billion during the 1990s -- but reading scores for fourth graders have not budged.

A Publication from the Communications Team at the House Education & the Workforce Committee
2181 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515 - (202) 225-4527

Home | About Us | About Phonics | Resources
Research | Topics | Reading Reform | Links | Search