,,iii #aahth ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 ,,res4 #dcj ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,october #be1 #bjbc,mr4 ,manchin 7for himself1 ,ms4 ,collins1 ,mrs4 ,capito1 and ,mr4 ,king7 submitted the following resolution2 which was considered and agreed to ,,resolution ,designating ,october #bj1 #bjbc1 as ,national ,early ,childhood ,literacy ,awareness ,day4 ,whereas many children from families with low incomes begin school already far behind children from families with higher incomes2 ,whereas research shows that children from families with low incomes are less likely to have interactions that are critical for language development1 including-- 7#a7 being read to or spoken to regularly2 7#b7 having access to books2 7#c7 having a literacy-rich environment2 and 7#d7 accessing high-quality early childhood education programs2 ,whereas language development is an important precursor to literacy2 ,whereas access to high-quality early childhood education programs can support early childhood language development and literacy2 ,whereas1 as early as #c years of age1 the vocabulary of a child can predict the future third-grade reading proficiency of the child2 ,whereas1 during the first #c years of life1 children from families with low-incomes can hear as many as #cj1jjj1jjj fewer words than children from more affluent families2 ,whereas1 in #bjbb1 the ,national ,assessment of ,educational ,progress 7referred to in this preamble as ,,naep7 reported that-- 7#a7 #ff percent of fourth-grade public school students nationally performed below the ,,naep proficient level in reading2 and 7#b7 #cg percent of fourth-grade public school students nationally performed below the ,,naep basic level in reading2 and ,whereas awareness of early childhood literacy issues must be heightened to encourage greater support to help children achieve reading proficiency3 ,now1 therefore1 be it ,that the ,senate-- 7#a7 designates ,october #bj1 #bjbc1 as ,national ,early ,childhood ,literacy ,awareness ,day2 7#b7 encourages ,states1 localities1 schools1 early childhood education programs1 and nonprofit organizations to observe the day with appropriate programs and activities1 with the goal of increasing public awareness about early childhood literacy issues2 7#c7 recognizes the need to make early childhood literacy a public priority2 7#d7 supports the efforts of businesses1 ,state and local governments1 early childhood education programs1 nonprofit organizations1 educators1 and volunteers dedicated to increasing childhood literacy rates2 7#e7 applauds the initiatives of businesses1 ,state and local governments1 early childhood education programs1 nonprofit organizations1 educators1 and volunteers that-- 7,a7 use time and resources to address early childhood literacy issues1 the causes of poor reading scores1 and potential solutions to those issues2 and 7,b7 work to promote the love of reading among children2 and 7#f7 encourages parents1 other family members1 and caregivers to introduce children to the world of books and other literacy activities in different ways1 including by-- 7,a7 reading to children2 7,b7 telling stories2 7,c7 teaching letters and words2 and 7,d7 visiting libraries4