TROY — U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., came to Troy Friday to discuss the importance of literacy among grade-level students throughout the state.

Through the Alabama Reading Initiative Program, the state has been working to teach reading as a high priority, particularly among grades K-3.  “It’s not necessarily the building. It’s not necessarily a lot of things,” Sessions told the education students of the Troy and Dothan campuses. “It’s how we teach. Technique makes a difference.”

Through this reading initiative, Sessions said Alabama has started to lead other states in this new approach. Gov. Bob Riley made a commitment to bring all Alabama schools up to these ARI standards, and according to Sessions, the goal has been met.

A former teacher himself, the senator told Troy students when children are able to read discipline problems go down, special education enrollment goes down and children are overall happier.

“There’s nothing like that magic moment in the classroom when the child gets it,” he said.
Not only does this literacy have to be focused on early on, but middle school and high school grade levels also have a need.

“It does no good to teach a high school student history if they can’t read the book,” Sessions said. “It does no good to teach science if they can’t read. We’ve got to go back and teach that even if it’s in the tenth and eleventh grades.”

While Alabama universities across the state have been striving to teach education majors these techniques, Sessions said Troy has leaped ahead.  “No university in Alabama has been as tuned in (to this program) as Troy,” Sessions said. “We’ve got some great education departments, but I believe Troy is probably the most progressive university in making sure its graduates are taught the fabulous new techniques that the state of Alabama has developed for teaching reading.”

“Reading can impact every class.”