Reading First provides federal funding to schools to help ensure that all children can read by the end of the third grade. Senator Collins has supported the use of Reading Recovery as an integral part of these efforts. Reading Recovery provides supplemental one to one reading instruction for first graders who are struggling with reading to help them keep up with the rest of their class. Over half of all elementary schools in Maine have a Reading Recovery program in place.
"The best way to ensure that no child is left behind is to ensure that every child can read. And the best way to ensure reading proficiency is with early reading intervention," said Senator Collins. "When children acquire reading skills at an early age, they are more likely to achieve academic success. Identifying reading difficulties early means that children will have more time to learn to be successful readers."
The Teacher Leader Awards are presented annually to persons who have made "extraordinary contributions to advance Reading Recovery beyond the local level." Senator Collins was nominated for the award by a group of Maine educators, including Nancy Todd, Patrick O'Shea, Cindy Kircherr, and Trisha Rhodes.
"During the last school year, 73 percent of Maine children who received the full Reading Recovery program were found to no longer need additional help and were able to go on and make progress with regular classroom instruction This is a remarkable accomplishment and provides compelling evidence of both the importance of early intervention strategies and the difference that Reading Recovery can make for many children," said Senator Collins.
Education has always been one of Senator Susan Collins' top priorities. In the U.S. Senate, Senator Collins has been a strong and consistent proponent of increased federal support for education. With Senator Collins and several of her colleagues leading the charge, total federal education funding has increased during her time in the Senate by 85 percent. In the years since the Reading First program was created, Senator Collins helped to triple funding for early literacy programs.
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