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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2023 - 2024
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | March 20, 2023 10:47 AM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Manuel Guzman, Jr. |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Read to Succeed – Pre-K to Grade 3 Literacy Support |
| Since the COVID-19 pandemic, studies have shown that about one-third of children in the youngest grades are missing reading benchmarks, significantly more than before the pandemic. All children have experienced this downturn, but Black and Hispanic children, those from low-income families, those with disabilities, and those who are not fluent in English have fallen the furthest behind. If children do not become competent readers by the end of elementary school, the long-term risks are significant. Those who struggle with reading are more likely to drop out of high school, earn less money as adults, and become involved in the criminal justice system. We must reverse this downward trend in literacy in our Commonwealth, which is why I am introducing legislation to reestablish the Read to Succeed Program, which was repealed in 2020. This program would provide competitive grants to school districts and charter schools to build strong reading skills in students and emphasize students with the greatest need for intensive reading instruction and school programs that will enable students to learn to read by the end of the third grade. It is clear that this program is needed now more than ever to get Pennsylvania’s students back on track. Please join me in co-sponsoring this important legislation to provide much needed literacy support to our youngest students before it is too late. |
Introduced as HB878