Celebrating "Read Across America Day"

CELEBRATING "READ ACROSS AMERICA DAY"

Weekly Column by Senator Susan M. Collins

"I cannot live without books," Thomas Jefferson once said, and his enthusiasm was hardly overstated. I share President Jefferson's love of a good book and a comfortable stretch of time in which to read it. But reading is also a pleasure that has to be cultivated, and it is vital for parents to expose their children to books at an early age. That is why I have made it a priority, since coming to the U.S. Senate in 1997, to support funding for reading programs and to visit as many schools as I can throughout our state to read to as many children as possible.

To date, I have visited 105 schools and have had the wonderful opportunity to share some of my favorite books with thousands of children. I often read books by Maine authors, like Miss Rumphius by Damariscotta's Barbara Cooney and The Sea Chest by Portland's Toni Buzzeo, to show children that they too can grow up to write books. Taking the time to read to children is not only a worthwhile investment but also a wonderful experience, and my time in Maine schools is among the most rewarding in my career in public service.

That is why I was pleased to join with Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) in introducing Senate Resolution 306, designating March 2, 2004, as "Read Across America Day." The Senate passed our resolution unanimously. The date was chosen by Read Across America's creators at the National Education Association because it is the birthday (this year, the 100th) of Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known to the world - especially its youngest citizens - as Dr. Seuss. There are few reading tools for early readers as delightful as Dr. Seuss and his stories, and Read Across America Day is a very fitting way to remember Dr. Seuss' achievements and to carry on his legacy. Senator Reed and I have sponsored similar resolutions in past years, and our goal each year is to call attention to this worthwhile effort and to encourage parents to read to their children for at least 30 minutes every day. In our resolution, we wrote, "reading is a basic requirement for quality education and professional success, and a source of pleasure throughout life."

The importance of this day is underscored by the challenge it addresses. Our nation has a well-documented early literacy problem. The National Institutes of Health has estimated that roughly 20 million of America's 53 million school-age children have difficulty reading. Intervention for these students often occurs too late. Too often in the past, children have reached the third or fourth grade before reading failure is diagnosed. For those who have reached the third grade without the ability to read, every paragraph, every assignment, every day in the classroom is a struggle. These students constantly battle embarrassment and feelings of inadequacy, fearing that their classmates and friends will discover they cannot read. Simply put, children without basic reading skills are at a greater risk of losing their natural curiosity and excitement for learning.

The key to success is to attack the problem right away. If a child's reading difficulty is detected early and he or she receives help in kindergarten or first grade, that child has a 90 to 95 percent chance of becoming a good reader. By contrast, if intervention does not occur during the period from grades K-3, the "window of literacy" closes, and the chances of the child ever becoming a good reader plummet. Moreover, if a child with reading disabilities becomes part of the special education system, the chances of his leaving special education are less than five percent.

While there are many ways that teachers and lawmakers are addressing this issue, nothing can replace the learning that takes place during interaction between parents and their children. Much of the learning and preparation that make reading possible occurs long before a child ever sets foot in a classroom. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, children whose parents read to them three or more times a week are almost twice as likely to be able to identify every letter of the alphabet. They are also more likely to be able to count to 20, write their own names, and read or pretend to read. When a child enters kindergarten already recognizing letters and familiar with books, she or he is better prepared to learn and less likely to encounter difficulty in learning to read.

The Read Across America campaign has been a huge success and is now celebrating its seventh year. There are many available resources to help schools and teachers highlight the day, but capturing the spirit of the day can be done through one simple act: provide a loving lap for a child and spend some time opening his or her world through a book. It is my hope that Read Across America will continue to help families get into a daily practice of reading to their children. I applaud all of our state's schoolteachers, librarians, and most of all, our parents, for their commitment to teaching America's children the joys of reading.