Committee Statements

Good Morning. I would like to thank Chairman Kildee for holding today's hearing. I am pleased the Committee is examining current federal literacy initiatives and ways to improve the reading comprehension skills of all children from birth through high school.

Today, 14 percent of Americans over the age of 16 - about 30 million people - have trouble with basic reading and writing skills and cannot read well enough to fill out a job application, follow a prescription, or even read a simple children's story. Too many adults do not have the skills to find and keep a job, support their child's education, or participate actively in civic life.

Reading is a fundamental skill and many of us take it for granted. Yet, we know that reading is a skill that does not come naturally. For children who do not learn to read, an early educational stumble can easily translate into a lifelong learning disability.

Fortunately, children who are at-risk for reading failure can learn to read at average levels, or above if they are indentified early and provided with intensive instruction.

In 2002, the No Child Left Behind Act was signed into law. The Act sought to address some of these literacy issues for children in pre-K through the third grade by authorizing the Early Reading First and Reading First Programs. In 2005, Congress created the Striving Readers programs, which focuses on middle and high school students as part of the FY2005 Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Act within NCLB.

The success in the first seven years of the scientifically-based Reading First program in particular has been astounding. Nationally, the percentage of third graders scoring proficient on state reading assessments has grown nearly eight percent, much faster than overall growth. In addition, state-reported performance data released last year indicates impressive gains in reading comprehension, with improvements seen by nearly every grade and subgroup of students.

Despite the clear success of the Reading First program, however, Congress has cut funding for this important program over the last two years and recently eliminated funding for the program. I am hopeful that we will reconsider this elimination and restore funding for this program which continues to produce strong results for students.

In a few moments, Dr. Sandra Meyers from the Delaware Department of Education will discuss the work my home state is doing in the area of literacy, particularly within the Early Reading First and Reading First programs. Delaware has long recognized that what children experience early in life has a direct impact on their future success in school and life, and I am pleased that the State is addressing literacy skills with several early literacy programs, such as Reach out and Read, Reading is Fundamental, Delaware Read ALOUD, and Growing Together portfolios, as well as various adult literacy services.

Each of these literacy programs have demonstrated success in helping students develop their literacy skills; however, as we all know, education is not just a responsibility of our federal, state, and local governments; it is our collective responsibility, whether it is a parent reading to a child or a business reaching out to those in need in their community. We all have a role to play in helping people who lack literacy skills overcome their difficulties, and I want to thank all of you here today and our witnesses in particular for your interest and efforts in drawing the public's attention to the problem of illiteracy.

 

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