POSSIBLE, IN PART, BY GRANTS FROM THE NEW MEXICO MUNICIPAL LEAGUE, A BETTER NEW MEXICO THROUGH BETTER CITIES AND FROM THE HEALY FOUNDATION, TAOS, NM.

HELLO, I'M LORENE MILLS, AND WELCOME TO REPORT FROM SANTA FE .

OUR GUEST TODAY IS SENATOR MIMI STEWART, WHO IS THE PRESIDENT PRO TEM OF THE MEXICO STATE SENATE, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

>>MIMI: I'M SO HAPPY TO TALK TO YOU TODAY, LORENE, I'VE MISSED YOU.

>>LORENE: I KNOW I'VE MISSED YOU TOO AND YOU HAVE SOME AMAZING INITIATIVES, BUT BEFORE WE START THAT, TELL ME A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND.

YOU WERE IN THE HOUSE BEFORE COMING TO THE SENATE, HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN POLITICS AND WHERE DO YOU COME FROM?

>>MIMI: OKAY WELL I FIRST GOT ELECTED IN 1994, SO I'M STARTING MY 32ND YEAR.

I'M SUPPOSEDLY THE LONGEST SERVING FEMALE LEGISLATOR, SO, I THINK PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO TELL ME, OKAY, MIGHT BE TIME TO LEAVE.

>>LORENE: NOPE, NOPE.

>>MIMI: SO I WAS BORN IN FLORIDA, MY FATHER DIED WHEN I WAS QUITE YOUNG, MY MOTHER TOOK ALL HER KIDS BACK TO WHERE SHE WAS BORN AND RAISED, WHICH WAS DOUGLAS, ARIZONA, YOU CAN IMAGINE.

FROM THERE, WE MOVED TO COLORADO, I GOT MY SCHOOLING IN COLORADO, THE SUBURBS WEST OF DENVER, EDGEWATER, LAKEWOOD, WHEAT RIDGE, GO FARMERS.

FROM THERE I WENT TO SCHOOL IN BOSTON, SO I WENT TO BOSTON UNIVERSITY AND WHEELOCK COLLEGE, WHICH IS AN EDUCATION COLLEGE.

IN 1978, IN BOSTON, WE GOT TWO FIVE-FOOT SNOWSTORMS A WEEK APART, THEY CLOSED DOWN THE SCHOOLS, SO I DIDN'T WORK, THAT'S WHEN WE DECIDED TO MOVE TO NEW MEXICO.

>>LORENE: YEAH, RIGHT.

>>MIMI: SO WE MOVED TO NEW MEXICO IN AUGUST OF 1978 AND I'VE BEEN HERE SINCE.

I STARTED WORK IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS THAT FALL, GOT MY FIRST JOB WITH ESTHER MYLANDER AND HAVE BEEN WORKING IN THE SCHOOLS OR BEEN IN OFFICE EVER SINCE THEN.

IN 1988, THE TEACHERS FEDERATION, ALBUQUERQUE TEACHERS FEDERATION, ASKED ME TO COME OUT OF THE CLASSROOM AND WORK FOR THEM.

I DID THAT FOR THREE YEARS, THAT'S WHEN I GOT THE BUG, BECAUSE I HAD TO LOBBY THE LEGISLATURE.

I WAS SHOCKED THAT THEY KNEW SO LITTLE ABOUT EDUCATION FUNDING.

YOU KNOW WE HAVE ONE OF THE BEST EDUCATION FUNDING FORMULAS IN THE WHOLE COUNTRY AND PEOPLE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW ABOUT IT.

SO I RAN FOR OFFICE THEN IN 1992 AND LOST AND THEN WON IN 1994.

I WORKED ANOTHER 10 YEARS, 15 YEARS AS A TEACHER AND THEN IN 2010, I HAD TO HAVE TWO HIP REPLACEMENTS, I WAS KIND OF RUNNING MYSELF RAGGED.

>>LORENE: YOU WERE.

>>MIMI: SO I QUIT THE JOB THAT PAID ME, TEACHING, AND KEPT THE LEGISLATIVE JOB THAT DIDN'T PAY ME.

>>LORENE: BUT WASN'T AS FULL TIME, WAS IT?

>>MIMI: NO, NO.

>>LORENE: OKAY, SO YOU COULD RECOVER.

>>MIMI: YEAH, YEAH, I TOOK CARE OF MY HEALTH THEN.

SO I WAS IN THE HOUSE FROM 1995 UNTIL 2015, 20 YEARS.

I TRIED TO GET INTO THE EDUCATION COMMITTEE AND THE SPEAKER THEN, RAYMOND SANCHEZ, SAID, I'VE GOT SIX PEOPLE WHO WANT THOSE TWO SPOTS, BUT I WANT A SMART LIBERAL ON THE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE, SO WHAT DO YOU SAY TO THE SPEAKER, NO?

>>LORENE: AND THE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE IS FASCINATING, BUT YOU HAD SO MUCH TO OFFER IN THE EDUCATION COMMITTEE.

>>MIMI: WELL, I WAS ALWAYS IN THE INTERIM EDUCATION COMMITTEE, THE LESC AND I DID A LOT OF EDUCATION BILLS, SO I DIDN'T NEED TO BE ON THAT COMMITTEE.

THEN I GOT PUT ON THE EDUCATION COMMITTEE AND I WAS THE CHAIR OF IT WHEN THE HOUSE LOST THE HOUSE TO THE REPUBLICANS.

>>LORENE: YEAH, AND WHERE IN THEIR VALUE SYSTEM WAS EDUCATION?

>>MIMI: WELL, CERTAINLY I WASN'T GOING TO BE ALLOWED TO REMAIN AS CHAIR, SO I MOVED TO THE SENATE.

I MOVED TO THE SENATE IN 2015 AND HAVE BEEN THERE EVER SINCE.

>>LORENE: YOU BET, YOU BET, AND I'M GRATEFUL FOR YOUR WORK THERE.

ONE OF THE THINGS I'M REALLY INTERESTED IN IS SOME OF YOUR INITIATIVES THIS SESSION.

YOU HAVE A LITERACY, IT'S NOT JUST A BILL, IT'S A WHOLE CONCEPT.

>>MIMI: YES.

>>LORENE: I NEED TO TALK ABOUT LITERACY A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE EVERYONE SAYS, OH, EDUCATION IS SO IMPORTANT, WHAT WOULD WE DO WITH EDUCATION?

YOU CAN'T HAVE EDUCATION IF THE STUDENTS CAN'T READ.

>>MIMI: THAT'S RIGHT.

>>LORENE: I THINK THERE'S THIS PERIOD OF TIME UP TO THIRD GRADE WHERE, IF YOU DON'T GET THEM, IF THEY CAN'T READ BY THIRD GRADE.

AND YOU PUSH THEM THROUGH THE EDUCATION SYSTEM, THEY'RE DESTINED TO FAIL.

THERE'S NO DISCUSSION ABOUT IT, THEY FAIL.

AND SO, YOU HAVE CREATED, I GUESS I'LL CALL IT INITIATIVE PROGRAM ABOUT HOW TO CATCH THESE KIDS IN TIME AND WITHOUT PUNITIVE MEASURES, WITHOUT ANYTHING, HAVE A WAY TO GET THEM UP TO SPEED, SO THAT THEY'LL BE SUCCESSFUL THROUGH THE REST OF THE THING.

SO WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO?

>>MIMI: SO THIS IS CALLED THE HIGH QUALITY LITERACY ACT, HIGH QUALITY LITERACY ACT.

WHAT PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE IS THAT THE EDUCATION COMMUNITY FOR, YOU KNOW, SIX DECADES WE HAVE BEEN FIGHTING EACH OTHER ABOUT THE BEST WAY TO TEACH READING, AND WE'VE HAD THESE TWO ICONS THAT HAVE FALLEN TOTALLY OUT OF FAVOR.

LUCY CALKINS AND MARIE CLAY.

THEIR READING INSTRUCTION WAS BASED ON WHAT'S CALLED THE THREE-CUEING SYSTEM, WHERE YOU TEACH STUDENTS BASICALLY TO GUESS WHAT THE WORD IS BY LOOKING AT THE PICTURE OR THINKING ABOUT WHERE IT IS IN THE SENTENCE OR LOOKING AT THE FIRST LETTER AND BASICALLY TRYING TO GUESS.

WELL, THAT'S WHAT STUDENTS WHO CAN'T READ DO, THE STUDENTS WHO CAN'T READ DO THOSE.

>>LORENE: SO THAT IS NOT THE SOLUTION FOR STUDENTS WHO CAN'T READ.

>>MIMI: NO AND WE HAVE A REAL LITERACY PROBLEM IN THIS COUNTRY BECAUSE WE'VE USED THAT, IT'S ALSO CALLED BALANCED LITERACY.

THERE'S OTHER GOOD THINGS ABOUT BALANCED LITERACY, BUT THE ACTUAL INSTRUCTION OF TEACHING KIDS HOW TO READ NEEDS TO BE VERY EXPLICIT AND SYSTEMATIC AND SEQUENTIAL, IT'S CALLED STRUCTURED LITERACY.

YOU CAN USE IT IN ANY LANGUAGE, THEY USE IT IN MEXICO.

THEY HAVE A 95% LITERACY RATE.

>>LORENE: OH MY GOODNESS.

>>MIMI: NOW SPANISH IS EASIER TO READ.

>>LORENE: YES.

>>MIMI: 26 LETTERS OF THE ALPHABET, 28 PHONEMES, THAT'S THE LITTLE BITS OF SOUND.

>>LORENE: HOW MANY IN ENGLISH?

>>MIMI: IN ENGLISH, 26 LETTERS OF THE ALPHABET, 44 PHONEMES, EIGHT WAYS TO WRITE THE LONG A SOUND.

>>LORENE: OH MY GOODNESS.

>>MIMI: SO IT'S HARD TO LEARN TO READ ENGLISH UNLESS YOU DO IT SYSTEMATICALLY AND SEQUENTIALLY.

PRE-K TEACHERS HAVE A JOB, KINDERGARTEN TEACHERS HAVE A JOB.

ONE OF THE FIVE PILLARS OF STRUCTURED LITERACY, SO IT'S PHONEMIC AWARENESS, PHONICS, FLUENCY, VOCABULARY, AND COMPREHENSION, BECAUSE THE GOAL OF ANY READING IS TO COMPREHEND WHAT YOU READ.

YOU KNOW, TO HEAR THE STORIES AND BE TRANSFIXED BY THEM, TO READ ABOUT SCIENCE OR OUR NATURAL WORLD AND BE AMAZED BY IT, THAT'S WHAT WE WANT.

YOU CAN'T GET THERE UNTIL YOU DO ALL OF THOSE SKILLS TO BEGIN WITH.

SO PHONEMIC AWARENESS FOR OUR YOUNGEST KIDS IS JUST TO GET THEM TO HEAR THE SOUNDS OF THE LANGUAGE, WHATEVER LANGUAGE THEY'RE LEARNING IN AND THAT'S WHY PARENTS READING TO STUDENTS IS SO CRUCIAL.

YOU KNOW, WE READ TO MY DAUGHTER FROM THE TIME SHE WAS ABOUT ONE AND A HALF UNTIL SHE WAS 13.

WHEN SHE WAS 11, 12, AND 13, HER DAD READ THE ILIAD AND THE ODYSSEY , AND I TELL HER THAT I TELL PEOPLE ABOUT THIS, AND SHE SAID, OH, MOM, THEY WERE SO BORING.

BUT THEN, SHE'S A POET, SHE USES ALL OF THAT READING IN HER POETRY, SO PARENTS READING TO KIDS, NOT KIDS READING TO PARENTS, NOT TURNING PARENTS INTO TEACHERS, BUT READING TO THEM SO THEY HEAR THE LANGUAGE, THEY HEAR THE VOCABULARY, THEY HEAR THE WAY WE DO IT, THEY HEAR BOOK LANGUAGE.

>>LORENE: BUT IT'S ALSO A VERY CLOSE, AN INTIMATE TIME TO BE WITH MOM AND DAD.

I JUST HAVE ONE QUESTION, YOU SAID THE LITERACY RATE IN MEXICO IS WHAT?

>>MIMI: 95%.

>>LORENE: OKAY, WHAT'S THE LITERACY RATE IN AMERICA?

>>MIMI: I DON'T KNOW, IT'S NOT GOOD.

>>LORENE: THE AVERAGE, AND THEN HOW'S NEW MEXICO DOING?

>>MIMI: SO, NEW MEXICO, ACCORDING TO THE ONE TEST THAT EVERY STATE TAKES IS CALLED THE NAEP.

NATIONAL ASSESSMENT EDUCATIONAL PROGRESS, NAEP.

WE DO THAT EVERY TWO YEARS AND THEY TEST EVERY STATE, A PORTION, A REPRESENTATIVE NUMBER AND TYPES OF STUDENTS IN THAT STATE ARE TESTED.

IN EVERY STATE, 1,400 KIDS, AND THEN THEY GET TO COMPARE, AND WE'RE LAST NOW, WE ARE LAST, WE'RE 50TH.

ESPECIALLY AFTER THE PANDEMIC, WE LOST SO MANY STUDENTS.

>>LORENE: BUT REMEMBER OUR MOTTO WASN'T IT, THANK GOODNESS FOR MISSISSIPPI, BECAUSE IN ALL THE GOOD THINGS, THEY WERE WORSE THAN US.

AND NOW IN LITERACY, WE ARE DEAD LAST.

>>MIMI: YES, YOU KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENED IN MISSISSIPPI.

>>LORENE: THE MISSISSIPPI MIRACLE, LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT.

>>MIMI: TEN YEARS AGO, THEY PUT IN PLACE STRUCTURED LITERACY.

MY HIGH QUALITY LITERACY ACT, WHICH REQUIRES STRUCTURED LITERACY TO BE TAUGHT TO TEACHERS IN EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS.

WE HAVE 12 ACTUAL SMALL COLLEGES OR BIG UNIVERSITIES THAT PREPARE TEACHERS AND WE ARE TRYING TO REQUIRE THAT THEY'RE TAUGHT ON HOW TO TEACH STRUCTURED LITERACY.

IT'S HOW KIDS LEARN TO READ, THAT'S THE BASIS FOR IT.

SO WHEN WE GOT THIS NEW GOVERNOR, THIS IS THE FIRST GOVERNOR WHO'S LISTENED TO ME ABOUT READING AND SO SHE SIGNED MY SENATE BILL 398 IN 2019.

THAT BILL SAID WE WILL TEST FIRST GRADERS IN THE FIRST 40 DAYS TO SEE IF THEY HAVE DYSLEXIA, WE WILL TRAIN ALL OF THOSE FIRST GRADE TEACHERS HOW TO TEACH STRUCTURED LITERACY.

STRUCTURED LITERACY IS WHAT YOU USE WITH DYSLEXIC STUDENTS, BUT EVERYONE ELSE LEARNS TO READ BETTER IF YOU USE THAT PROCESS.

>>LORENE: MY HEART BREAKS FOR ALL THE BRIGHT KIDS WHO JUST HAD DYSLEXIA BEFORE TEACHERS AND COLLEAGUES AND PARENTS RECOGNIZED IT WAS A THING, SO THEY WERE LABELED AS DUMB OR ADHD OR ANYTHING AND WE LOST A LOT OF REALLY GOOD MINDS.

>>MIMI: WE DID.

>>LORENE: THE MINDS CAME BACK AND THEY FOUND OTHER WAYS TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES, BUT IN SCHOOL THEY WERE, YOU KNOW THEY WERE, THEY WERE, I'M SORRY, YOU KNOW, THEY WERE DISCRIMINATED AGAINST.

>>MIMI: THEY THOUGHT THEY WERE DUMB, THEY THOUGHT THEY WERE STUPID.

I TUTORED KIDS FOR A WHILE, I HAD THIS LITTLE FIFTH GRADE BOY WHO SAID, MS.

STEWART, IT JUST SEEMS LIKE ALL THE KIDS KNOW A SECRET CODE AND I DON'T KNOW IT.

AND I SAID, YOU'RE RIGHT AND I'M GOING TO TEACH YOU THAT CODE, IT'S CALLED THE ALPHABETIC CODE.

AND I DID, I TAUGHT HIM THAT OVER TWO YEARS.

SO, IF YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING, IF YOU'VE HAD THE TRAINING, AND IN NEW MEXICO, WE HAVE SPENT 15 MILLION TO 20 MILLION A YEAR FOR THE LAST FOUR YEARS TO TRAIN ALL OF OUR ELEMENTARY TEACHERS IN A PROGRAM THAT TEACHES THEM HOW KIDS ACTUALLY LEARN TO READ AND HOW YOU CHANGE YOUR TEACHING PRACTICE SO THAT YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING.

KINDERGARTENERS, IF THEY USE STRUCTURED LITERACY, BY THE END OF KINDERGARTEN THEY CAN READ 200 SIMPLE WORDS, HAT, PAT, SAT, HOP, POP, ALL OF THOSE LITTLE WORDS, YOU CAN TEACH THEM BECAUSE IN KINDERGARTEN, IN FIRST GRADE, WELL, IN KINDERGARTEN, YOUR JOB IS TO THE SHORT VOWEL SOUNDS AND THE SIMPLE CONSONANTS.

IN FIRST GRADE, YOU START GOING INTO THE LONG VOWELS AND HOW THEY'RE MADE AND THEN YOU LEARN ABOUT THE SIX SYLLABLE TYPES THAT WE HAVE, IN THE SECOND GRADE, YOU START LOOKING AT PREFIXES, SUFFIXES, AND ENDINGS, BY THIRD GRADE, YOU'RE INTO GREEK AND LATIN ROOTS.

>>LORENE: OH MY GOODNESS.

>>MIMI: AND YOU'RE REALLY INTO BREAKING UP WORDS, PUTTING THEM TOGETHER, YOU WRITE STRUCT ON THE BOARD AND YOU TALK ABOUT CONSTRUCT, DESTRUCT, INSTRUCT, INSTRUCTION, DESTRUCTION, SO THERE'S JUST GREAT WAYS TO TEACH KIDS IF YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING.

WE'VE TRIED TO REALLY GET OUR TEACHERS UP TO SPEED AND IT'S WORKING.

WE'VE INCREASED LITERACY RATES 10% OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS, THAT'S UNHEARD OF.

>>LORENE: THAT'S UNHEARD OF.

>>MIMI: WE'RE STILL GOING, WE'RE STILL DOING IT.

WE HAVE SOME DISTRICTS THAT HAVE INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY IN ROSWELL WHERE THEY USE STRUCTURED LITERACY WITH THEIR BILINGUAL CLASSROOMS.

LAST YEAR, THOSE STUDENTS WERE AT 70% PROFICIENCY, INSTEAD OF 30 OR 35, IT WAS STUNNING, IT WAS JUST STUNNING.

>>LORENE: WE'RE SPEAKING TODAY WITH SENATOR MIMI STEWART, WHO IS THE PRESIDENT PRO TEM OF THE NEW MEXICO SENATE.

A BORN EDUCATOR AND YOU'RE TELLING ME THESE STORIES, AND I'M JUST THRILLED AND I'M SO GRATEFUL.

NOW IS THIS ACT, YOU HAVE THE HIGH QUALITY LITERACY ACT NOW?

>>MIMI: YES, IT PASSED THE HOUSE.

>>LORENE: OKAY, IT PASSED THE HOUSE.

>>MIMI: IT'S IN THE SENATE, I MEAN, IT PASSED THE SENATE AND IT'S IN THE HOUSE.

>>LORENE: OKAY.

WHO CAN VOTE AGAINST LITERACY IF YOU DON'T MIND ME ASKING, WELL, I KNOW PEOPLE CAN.

BUT TO ME IT'S CLEAR THE ONLY WAY AROUND IS THROUGH AND FOR CHILDREN TO PROGRESS, READING IS ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL.

>>MIMI: IT'S FOUNDATIONAL.

>>LORENE: IT'S FOUNDATIONAL.

>>MIMI: YOU KNOW, YOU'RE A BETTER MATH THINKER IF YOU CAN READ.

IT'S NOT JUST THE WORD PROBLEMS, IT'S READING ITSELF.

>>LORENE: RIGHT, IT'S ALSO MUSIC.

IF YOU HAVE MUSIC, IT HELPS YOU READ AND IT HELPS YOU IN MATH.

>>MIMI: YES.

>>LORENE: YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST SYNAPSES IN THE BRAIN THAT ARE CALLED FORTH AND YOU'RE CALLING THEM FORTH WITH THE SOUND OF THE VOWELS AND THE SOUND OF THE SYLLABLES AND THEN WHEN THEY'RE ACCUSTOMED TO THESE SOUNDS, IT'S JUST WONDERFUL.

AND I LOVE THE STRUCTURE THAT YOU HAVE FOR WHAT HAPPENS IN FIRST GRADE, SECOND GRADE, AND THEN THIRD GRADE, AND THAT'S THE POINT WHERE, IF THEY'RE NOT READING, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO MAKE IT... >>MIMI: THEY'RE IN TROUBLE.

I MEAN, THEY COULD, WE HAVE, I THINK IT'S SOMETHING LIKE 85% OF THOSE STUDENTS IN THIRD GRADE THAT HAVEN'T LEARNED TO READ, THAT EVENTUALLY WILL, BUT ONLY WITH TRAINING AND PROGRAMS.

SO WE'VE EVEN GONE UP INTO MIDDLE SCHOOL WITH READING PROGRAMS BECAUSE, IF YOU DON'T HAVE THIS SOLID FOUNDATION, YOU CONTINUE TO STRUGGLE.

YOU KNOW, FOR YOUR VIEWERS, I SUGGEST THAT THEY WATCH THE PODCAST, SOLD A STORY .

IT'S BY A NEW YORK REPORTER.

IT TALKS ABOUT THOSE TWO ICONS THAT HAVE RUN OUT OF DISFAVOR AND THE WAYS OF TEACHING READING THAT HAVEN'T WORKED THAT WE'VE TRIED FOR SO LONG AND IT'S REALLY BEEN PARENTS OF STUDENTS WITH DYSLEXIA THAT HAVE DRIVEN THE RESEARCH ON HOW TO TEACH OUR KIDS.

THERE ARE FOUR STATE SENATORS RIGHT NOW, ALL OF WHOM HAVE DYSLEXIA, THAT I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT, THAT ALL CAME FORWARD WITH THIS HIGH QUALITY LITERACY ACT.

>>LORENE: OH, WONDERFUL.

>>MIMI: THE MAYOR OF ALBUQUERQUE, I TALK ABOUT TIM KELLER ALL THE TIME, HE SAYS IT'S OKAY, HE HAS DYSLEXIA.

HE HAS TO TELL HIS STAFF, DON'T GIVE ME A LONG SPEECH, JUST LITTLE BULLET POINTS.

HE ALSO TELLS ME, I'M ONE OF THE BEST-READ PEOPLE AROUND, I SAY, REALLY?

HE SAYS, YEAH, AUDIOBOOKS, I LISTEN TO AUDIOBOOKS CONSTANTLY.

CHILDREN WITH DYSLEXIA, IT'S NOT A DISABILITY, IT'S A DIFFERENT BRAIN.

THEIR BRAIN WORKS DIFFERENTLY, AND WE KNOW HOW TO TEACH THEM.

>>LORENE: AND THERE ARE SOME CHILDREN, WELL, THERE'S SOME, I THINK GRETA THUNBERG, THE YOUNG, BRILLIANT SCIENTIST SAYS THAT SHE'S DYSLEXIC AND THAT'S HER POWER, IT'S HER SECRET POWER.

>>MIMI: MANY PEOPLE WITH DYSLEXIA ARE JUST VERY, VERY INTELLIGENT, VERY SMART, THEY LEARN COPING MECHANISMS.

TIM KELLER JUST TOLD ME, I WOULD JUST MEMORIZE EVERYTHING, I WOULD LISTEN AND MEMORIZE EVERYTHING.

I COULDN'T READ IT, BUT I SURE KNEW WHAT WAS GOING ON BECAUSE I LISTENED WELL.

YOU KNOW, THEY'RE SOMETIMES BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS TOO, BECAUSE YOU KNOW, THEY DON'T FEEL GOOD ABOUT THEMSELVES.

>>LORENE: RIGHT, EVERYBODY KNOWS THE SECRET CODE AND THEY DON'T, SO THEY ACT OUT.

>>MIMI: YES, YEAH.

>>LORENE: THE SECRET CODE IS JUST READING.

>>MIMI: IT IS, IT'S THE ALPHABETIC CODE.

IT'S REALLY BREAKING DOWN HOW THINGS SOUND, HOW YOU WRITE THOSE SOUNDS AND HOW IT WORKS ALL TOGETHER.

YOU KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF WORD STUDY AND A FOCUS ON VOCABULARY AND COMPREHENSION.

SO HOW YOU DO THAT IN PRESCHOOL, IN KINDERGARTEN, FIRST, EVEN SECOND GRADE, IS THROUGH READING TO STUDENTS.

NOT THEM READING, YOU READING TO STUDENTS, THE TEACHERS READING TO STUDENTS, PARENTS READING TO THEM, THAT'S REALLY HOW THEY PICK UP THE VOCABULARY AND COMPREHENSION.

>>LORENE: RIGHT, AND I LOVE STORY HOUR, A WHOLE LOT OF LITTLE KIDS CAN COME, AND A REALLY GOOD READER HOLDS UP THE PICTURES IN THE BOOK IN THE DESERT.

BUT ANOTHER THING THAT I DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY DO THIS, BUT I SAW THEY HAVE CHILDREN READING TO DOGS YOU KNOW AND THE DOG'S JUST LYING THERE.

>>MIMI: I'M SURE THE SOUND OF THE VOICE IS SOOTHING.

>>LORENE: YEAH, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THEY REALLY LOVE TO DO, FEEL SUCH A BOND WITH THAT DOG.

>>MIMI: I THINK ANIMALS ARE MORE OF A SENTIENT BEING THAN WE GIVE THEM CREDIT FOR.

>>LORENE: YES, EXACTLY.

>>MIMI: YOU SEE SOME OF THESE INTERACTIONS BETWEEN SPECIES.

I SAW A PICTURE THE OTHER DAY OF A TIGER DROWNING IN A FLOODING RIVER, AND AN ELEPHANT SAVED IT.

IT CLIMBED UP ONTO THE BACK OF THE ELEPHANT, AND THAT ELEPHANT WALKED THE TIGER OUT OF THE FLOODED RIVER.

>>LORENE: OH, MY GOODNESS.

WE HAVE TO TREAT ALL BEINGS AS SENTIENT BEINGS, WE'RE NOT IN DOMINION OVER THE WORLD, WE'RE JUST SHARING IT WITH EVERYBODY ELSE.

>>MIMI: WE ARE.

>>LORENE: LITERACY IS ONE OF THE WAYS THAT WE SHARE IT BECAUSE WE LEARN ABOUT OTHER LANDS, OTHER LANGUAGES, OTHER WAYS OF DOING THINGS, ANIMAL STORIES, ALL OF THAT STUFF.

I USE A LOT OF AUDIBLE BOOKS, I JUST LOVE THEM.

I HAVE THEM, I LISTEN TO THEM AT DOUBLE SPEED BECAUSE I'M BUSY, IF YOU'RE NOT DOING A COLUMN OF FIGURES, YOU CAN LISTEN TO IT AT DOUBLE SPEED.

BUT THEY ARE SUCH A GIFT, AND I THINK FOR KIDS, ONE OF THE WAYS THAT PARENTS BREAK THEIR KIDS AWAY FROM SCREEN IS GIVE THEM A LITTLE, I THINK IT'S CALLED A YOTO.

IT'S AN AUDIBLE PLAYER, AND THEY CAN SIT AND JUST LISTEN TO THE STORY AND THEY DON'T HAVE A SCREEN, IT'S ONE WAY TO BREAK THE, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT MOM READING TO YOU, BUT IT STILL GETS THE READING AND THE STORY ACROSS WITHOUT THE HYPNOTIC EFFECT OF THE SCREENS.

>>MIMI: YOU KNOW, READING SAVED ME AS A KID.

I DID NOT HAVE A GOOD CHILDHOOD, I LOST BOTH MY FATHER AND MY MOTHER, BUT AT ABOUT, I THINK IT WAS LIKE FOURTH GRADE, I DISCOVERED THE LIBRARY ABOUT THREE BLOCKS FROM MY HOUSE, AND I STARTED IN ON THE NANCY DREW MYSTERIES.

>>LORENE: YES, YES.

>>MIMI: AND I READ EVERY ONE OF THEM.

I DON'T THINK I READ MY FIRST NOVEL UNTIL I WAS IN MIDDLE SCHOOL, BUT THEN I READ MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY AND IT'S STILL, I STILL REMEMBER HOW EXCITING AND HOW MUCH EMOTION THERE WAS AND IT WAS JUST AN INCREDIBLE STORY AND I SORT OF BECAME A HAPPIER KID BECAUSE I READ OTHER STORIES AND I COULD ESCAPE MY UNHAPPY HOUSEHOLD BY GETTING INTO A BOOK.

I STILL READ CONSTANTLY.

>>LORENE: I USED TO GIVE KIDS BOOKS, MY FAVORITE BOOKS, AND EVERYTHING, AND THEN I REALIZED I'LL JUST GIVE THEM A GIFT CARD AND THEY CAN WALK INTO THE BOOKSTORE LIKE THEY OWN IT AND THEY CAN LOOK AT EVERY BOOK AND CHOOSE, IT'S ENOUGH TO GET A COUPLE OF BOOKS.

AND THE FACT THAT IT WAS THEIR CHOICE AND THEY LOOKED AT WHAT WAS AVAILABLE AND WHAT PULLED THEM, IT'S JUST, IT'S WONDERFUL.

ONE THING ABOUT THIS LITERACY ACT, I AM SO GRATEFUL TO YOU AND I THINK IT'S GOING TO PASS, WE ARE HOPING THAT IT'S GOING TO PASS.

WE HAVE A MINUTE LEFT, TWO MINUTES LEFT.

WHAT CAN YOU TELL THE PARENTS OUT THERE, PARENTS OF READERS, WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE IN A FAMILY AND OF COURSE ON THE GOVERNMENTAL LEVEL TO HELP LITERACY.

>>MIMI: IF PARENTS WOULD SPEND 15 OR 20 MINUTES A DAY READING TO THEIR CHILDREN, FROM THE TIME THEY'RE BORN, UNTIL YOU KNOW 12 OR 13.

>>LORENE: DON'T A LOT OF HOSPITALS GIVE A BOOK WITH A NEWBORN BABY?

>>MIMI: THEY DO, THEY DO.

YEAH AND IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT LANGUAGE, YOU KNOW, IF YOUR HOME LANGUAGE IS NOT ENGLISH, THAT'S FINE, READ TO YOUR CHILD IN THE HOME LANGUAGE.

YOU KNOW, THERE'S PLENTY OF SPANISH BOOKS, ABOUNDING, THERE'S NOT AS MANY FOR THE NATIVE AMERICAN LANGUAGES, BUT STILL, IT IS THE ONE THING PARENTS COULD DO.

AND I MEAN READ TO THEM, NOT MAKE THEM READ A BOOK TO YOU, THEY DON'T NEED PRACTICE DOING THAT TO THE PARENT, THEY JUST NEED TO, THEY NEED TO SEE PARENTS READING, THEY NEED TO GET THE IDEA THAT READING IS GOOD, READING IS FUN, READING IS WHAT MY PARENTS DO.

>>LORENE: WHEN EVERYBODY SITS TOGETHER AND THEY ALL READ THEIR OWN THING.

>>MIMI: SO THAT'S THE ONE THING THAT PARENTS COULD DO.

IN THE LITERACY ACT, WE ARE GOING TO DO A READ AT HOME PROGRAM, WE ARE ACTUALLY GOING TO SEND INFORMATION HOME TO PARENTS ABOUT HOW YOU CAN HELP YOUR STUDENT LEARN AND HOW YOU READ TO THEM, YOU KNOW, HOW YOU MAKE THAT MEANINGFUL.

SO WE'RE GOING RIGHT TO THE PARENTS ALSO IN THE LITERACY ACT.

>>LORENE: ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT SOME COMPANIES HAVE DONE IS, IF THE CHILD READS 100 BOOKS, THEY GET A FREE PIZZA OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT AND IT'S AMAZING HOW MANY KIDS REALLY WRITE DOWN THE NAME OF THE BOOK AND WHETHER YOU LIKED IT OR NOT, THE LIST IS THERE.

THEY DON'T QUESTION YOU, WHAT WAS THE END OF WAR AND PEACE, YOU KNOW, THEY JUST SAY, GREAT, HERE'S YOUR REWARD AND THAT SO MANY BUSINESSES REALIZE THAT WHAT BLESSES ONE BLESSES ALL.

IF YOU GET ONE MORE KID READING, EVERYBODY BENEFITS, IF YOU GET 10 MORE READING, EVERYONE BENEFITS.

>>MIMI: I WANT US TO BE LIKE MEXICO WITH 95% LITERACY.

FINLAND USES STRUCTURED LITERACY, THOSE KIDS IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, THEY LEAVE THAT ELEMENTARY KNOWING THREE LANGUAGES, ENGLISH, FINNISH, AND ONE OTHER.

>>LORENE: PROBABLY NORWEGIAN OR WHOEVER THE NEIGHBORS WERE.

>>MIMI: RIGHT, I THINK THEY HAD A LOT OF CHOICES.

SO, IF YOU KNOW HOW KIDS LEARN TO READ AND YOU TEACH TO THAT LEVEL, YOU CAN TEACH ANYBODY HOW TO READ.

>>LORENE: YEAH, I'M THANKING YOU SO MUCH, OUR GUEST TODAY, SENATOR MIMI STEWART, WHO IS THE PRESIDENT PRO TEM OF THE NEW MEXICO SENATE, DEMOCRAT FROM BERNALILLO COUNTY, RIGHT?

>>MIMI: YES.

>>LORENE: THIS HIGH QUALITY LITERACY ACT AND ALL YOU'VE DONE FOR LITERACY IS JUST AMAZING AND I'M SO GRATEFUL, THANK YOU FOR COMING TODAY.

>>MIMI: THANK YOU, LORENE, IT'S GREAT TO TALK TO YOU.

>>LORENE: IT IS GREAT AND I'M LORENE MILLS, I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU, OUR AUDIENCE, FOR BEING WITH US TODAY ON REPORT FROM SANTA FE .

GET READING, WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT WEEK.

REPORT FROM SANTA FE IS MADE POSSIBLE, IN PART, BY GRANTS FROM THE NEW MEXICO MUNICIPAL LEAGUE, A BETTER NEW MEXICO THROUGH BETTER CITIES AND FROM THE HEALY FOUNDATION, TAOS, NM.

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