Sponsors (20)
The resolution promotes broader use of evidence‑based reading practices and greater access to materials to boost literacy and long-term economic opportunity, but it risks constraining classroom approaches, increasing public costs, and insufficiently addressing culturally or linguistically appropriate materials for English learners.
K–12 students would receive more effective, evidence‑based reading instruction, improving literacy, comprehension, and graduation prospects while giving teachers clearer guidance on proven practices.
Low-income children and students of color could gain better access to reading materials and supports, narrowing literacy gaps that hinder educational achievement and economic mobility.
Stronger literacy outcomes could raise long-term earnings for individuals and reduce costs to taxpayers and businesses associated with adult illiteracy.
Implementing and prioritizing a specific 'science of reading' approach may reduce teachers' instructional flexibility and marginalize alternative literacy methods.
Expanding evidence‑based programs and widening access to materials could increase federal or local education spending or require reallocating existing funds, impacting taxpayers and local budgets.
If federal criteria favor narrow program models, culturally and linguistically relevant materials for English learners and immigrant students may be underprioritized.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Expresses congressional findings on low literacy, endorses evidence‑based "science of reading" strategies and access to reading materials, and cites federal literacy statutes as bases for investment.
Official title: Designating September 2025 as "National Literacy Month".
Introduced September 16, 2025 by John F. Reed · Last progress September 16, 2025
Declares Congress’s findings about low reading proficiency among children and adults, the economic and social harms of low literacy, and disparities that disproportionately affect students of color, low‑income students, and English learners. It endorses evidence‑based "science of reading" strategies and broader access to reading materials and cites existing federal literacy statutes as the basis for federal investment.