Forty-four percent of American fourth graders failed to read at grade level in a 1994 national assessment. He urged Congress to pass a strong child literacy before adjourning for this year. Riley called for a comprehensive national crusade from coast to coast based on the best practices from new brain and reading research. The Summit follows up on Riley's goal, announced in 1996, of ensuring that all children become good readers by the end of third grade. Riley issued five challenges to accelerate the movement toward full child literacy.
More parents ought to read daily to children from infancy.
Children with limited English, disabilities, and low incomes should receive special help. Standards for teacher preparation in reading should be raised. Riley called on the top educators and policymakers in each state to join forces to retool their approach to teaching children to read, beginning at birth. Fifty percent of all infants and toddlers are not read to routinely by their parents. Riley renewed his challenge to educators to stop feuding over teaching techniques.