Political Quotes

“Mr. President, today I introduce with my colleague, Senator Grassley, the Prescribe-a-Book Act. I thank Senators Stabenow, Cowan, and Blumenthal for joining us as original cosponsors of this bipartisan bill. Literacy skills are the foundation for success in school and in life. Developing and building these skills begins at home, with parents as the first teachers. Our legislation would create a federal pediatric early literacy grant initiative based on the long-standing, successful Reach Out and Read program. The program would award grants on a competitive basis to high- quality non-profit entities to train doctors and nurses to discuss with parents the importance of reading aloud to their children and to give books to children at pediatric check-ups from six months to five years of age, with a priority for children from low-income families. It builds on the relationship between parents and medical providers and helps families and communities encourage early literacy skills so children enter school prepared for success in reading. The pediatric literacy model implemented by Reach Out and Read has consistently demonstrated effectiveness in increasing family engagement and boosting children's reading proficiency.…”