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| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
| State Rep. Vanessa Lowery Brown |
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Brown resolution promotes summer reading
HARRISBURG, June 18 – A resolution promoting summer reading for school students, introduced by state Rep. Vanessa Lowery Brown, D-Phila., was unanimously adopted by the House of Representatives recently.
House Resolution 761 promotes student literacy and recognizes the value of local public libraries and their summer reading programs.
"A summer reading program gives children a chance to continue reading even though the school year has ended," Brown said. "The education of our youth doesn’t have to end in the classroom when our public libraries possess the literature necessary to stimulate a child’s mind year-round."
A study by Johns Hopkins University has established links between reading and future educational and career success. Readers show a measurable increase in classroom results while youth without access to appropriate reading materials can fall significantly behind their classmates, the study indicated.
Brown said Pennsylvania library officials have worked hard to insure that summer reading materials are available for children at the lowest cost possible for their public libraries. By providing summer reading programs, the public is given an opportunity to learn year-round and gain a passion for reading that can last a lifetime.
"I’m happy to see the importance of reading recognized, especially now that students are on their summer break," said Brown. "Hopefully programs like these can teach children that the benefits of reading don’t just end in the classroom but continue into the job market and beyond."
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