Reach Out and Read

http://www.reachoutandread.org

Reach Out and Read is a national, non-profit program that is working to make literacy promotion a standard part of pediatric primary care. Reach Out and Read trains medical providers to advise parents about the importance of reading aloud and to give books to children at check-ups from age 6 months to 5 years, with a special emphasis on children growing up in poverty.  Since l989, Reach Out and Read has trained more than 44,100 doctors and nurses who have given advice and a new book at more than 16 million well-child visits.  

Reach Out and Read is supported by the Bryan College Station Community Health Center.  This program's mission is to make literacy promotion a standard part of pediatric primary care, so that children grow up with books and a love of reading.  By integrating literacy into standard well-child pediatric visits and encouraging parents to read aloud to their children daily, pediatricians promote the acquisition of spoken and written language skills increasing the likelihood of eventual school success and lowering the risk of numerous negative outcomes connected to school failure.

Junior League volunteers read to youngsters in the clinic waiting room and serve as role models to young mothers waiting for their appointments.  The Junior League volunteers provide a positive learning experience for the young children encouraging an interest in books and an enjoyment of children's literature.