III 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 852 

Designating October 20, 2024, as ‘‘National Early Childhood Literacy 

Awareness Day’’. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 24, 2024 

Mr. MANCHIN (for himself, Ms. COLLINS, Mrs. CAPITO, and Mr. KING) 

submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Designating October 20, 2024, as ‘‘National Early Childhood 

Literacy Awareness Day’’. 

Whereas many children from families with low incomes begin 

school already far behind children from families with 

higher incomes; 

Whereas research shows that children from families with low 

incomes are less likely to have interactions that are critical for language development, including— 

(1) being read to or spoken to regularly; 

(2) having access to books; 

(3) having a literacy-rich environment; and 

(4) accessing high-quality early childhood education 

programs; 

Whereas language development is an important precursor to 

literacy; 


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•SRES 852 ATS 

Whereas access to high-quality early childhood education programs can support early childhood language development 

and literacy; 

Whereas, as early as 3 years of age, the vocabulary of a child 

can predict the future third-grade reading proficiency of 

the child; 

Whereas, during the first 3 years of life, children from families with low-incomes can hear as many as 30,000,000 

fewer words than children from more affluent families; 

Whereas, in 2022, the National Assessment of Educational 

Progress (referred to in this preamble as ‘‘NAEP’’) reported that— 

(1) 66 percent of fourth-grade public school students 

nationally performed below the NAEP proficient level in 

reading; and 

(2) 37 percent of fourth-grade public school students 

nationally performed below the NAEP basic level in reading; and 

Whereas awareness of early childhood literacy issues must be 

heightened to encourage greater support to help children 

achieve reading proficiency: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) designates October 20, 2024, as ‘‘National 

3 Early Childhood Literacy Awareness Day’’; 

4 (2) encourages States, localities, schools, early 

5 childhood education programs, and nonprofit organi6 zations to observe the day with appropriate pro7 grams and activities, with the goal of increasing 


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•SRES 852 ATS 

1 public awareness about early childhood literacy 

2 issues; 

3 (3) recognizes the need to make early childhood 

4 literacy a public priority; 

5 (4) supports the efforts of businesses, State and 

6 local governments, early childhood education pro7 grams, nonprofit organizations, educators, and vol8 unteers dedicated to increasing childhood literacy 

9 rates; 

10 (5) applauds the initiatives of businesses, State 

11 and local governments, early childhood education 

12 programs, nonprofit organizations, educators, and 

13 volunteers that— 

14 (A) use time and resources to address 

15 early childhood literacy issues, the causes of 

16 poor reading scores, and potential solutions to 

17 those issues; and 

18 (B) work to promote the love of reading 

19 among children; and 

20 (6) encourages parents, other family members, 

21 and caregivers to introduce children to the world of 

22 books and other literacy activities in different ways, 

23 including by— 

24 (A) reading to children; 

25 (B) telling stories; 


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•SRES 852 ATS 

1 (C) teaching letters and words; and 

2 (D) visiting libraries. 

Æ 


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