The Reading First initiative, which was introduced by Senator Collins and incorporated into the landmark No Child Left Behind Act, is a cooperative approach that calls upon the federal government, states, and school districts to work together to help students learn to read. It targets federal funding to state and local programs that help to ensure than all children can read by the end of the third grad. The appropriation for Reading First in FY 2002 is $900 million.
"The best way to ensure that no child is left behind," said Senator Collins, "is to ensure that every child can read. And the best way to ensure reading proficiency, is with early reading intervention. When children acquire reading skills at an early age, they are more likely to achieve academic success. Identifying reading difficulties early means children have more time to learn to be successful readers."
Testifying at today's hearing was Hancock County teacher, Trisha Rhodes, a Reading Recovery instructor and reading specialist at Conners-Emerson Elementary School, which Senator Collins visited late last month. Reading Recovery is a one-on-one intervention program designed to help the least able readers in the first grade acquire and use fundamental reading and comprehension skills. The Maine Department of Education has incorporated Reading Recovery into its early literacy programs in more than half of the state's elementary schools. In order to meet the goal of having the program available to every Maine first grader who needs it, however, more trained Reading Recovery teachers are needed.
Ms. Rhodes testified about the effectiveness of reading recovery as part of a comprehensive early reading program. ###