National Reading Panel (NRP)

Northup Hails Final Report of National Reading Panel as Much-Needed Resource in America's Classrooms

Source: Office of Congresswoman Anne M. Northup, 3rd District of Kentucky

For Immediate Release Thursday, April 13, 2000

WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 13, 2000) – Today, Representative Anne M. Northup joined with the National Reading Panel, the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) and the Department of Education in releasing the Panel's long-awaited final report, "Teaching Children to Read."

Rep. Northup led efforts to establish the Panel with the introduction of her bill, H.R. 2192 in the 105th Congress. In 1997, Congress commissioned the Panel as part of the FY98 Labor, Health and Human Services Appropriations Bill in response to the growing concern that America's children were being left behind.

"A child's success in school — and in life — is dependent upon his ability to read. That's why it is so discouraging that nearly 69 percent of America's fourth graders can't read at a proficient level. It underscores the urgency of this crisis. Congress has tried spending more money and implementing new programs and so are many of our states, but our children clearly are not getting what they need. Thankfully, the National Reading Panel has delivered the knowledge and the tools we have been lacking," Northup stated.

"The Panel's report gives teachers and parents clear direction on how children learn, what intervention is needed and when it is needed to develop successful reading," Northup said. "Teachers have been barraged with conflicting information — all claiming a scientific basis — about how children best learn to read. Now they will be equipped with scientific research from a panel that is credible and independent. I am convinced that so many teachers are yearning for clearer direction on how to teach reading and that they will embrace the findings of this Panel."

"A six year old is only six once. If we don't reach these youngsters now, we can't come back 15 years later and make it right. It is time for action. The Panel's findings need to reach our schools, teachers, parents and universities as soon as possible. And literacy programs funded by Congress in the future should reflect the findings of this Panel," Northup concluded.

The National Reading Panel was created by NICHD and the Department of Education. It includes 14 individuals who are leading scientists in reading research, representatives of colleges of education, reading teachers, administrators and parents. During the last two years, the panel held five field hearings to consult with stakeholders in education and listen to their concerns. They then assessed the current status of research-based knowledge, including the effectiveness of various approaches to teach children to read and the readiness of application in the classroom.

The National Reading Panel found that there is a clear and distinct pattern that children go through as they learn to read. It starts with phoneme awareness and phonics instruction, which leads to fluency. It is important to understand that children won't become fluent until they have the foundation of phonemes and phonics established. In Kindergarten and first grade, phoneme awareness and systemic phonics instruction are essential for children at-risk.

The Panel's findings are welcome news given the staggering statistics. In 1994, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) found that 42 percent of fourth graders read below basic levels. The 1998 NAEP showed that the situation was not improved. The results found that 69 percent of fourth grade students are reading below the proficient level.

This is confirmed by the 1999 National Education Goals Report which finds that the U.S. has failed to increase the percentage of students scoring at or above proficient in reading for students in grade four. The report indicates that only 31 percent of our nation's fourth graders read at or above the proficient level, meaning 69 percent of our students are failing.

In 1994, the NAEP revealed that reading problems affect students in virtually every social, cultural and ethnic group. According to the results, 29 percent of whites, 69 percent of African Americans, 64 percent of Hispanics, 22 percent of Asian Americans and 52 percent of American Indians read below basic levels in the fourth grade.

For more detail about the National Reading Panel's report, please visit their website at http://www.nationalreadingpanel.org.