REACH OUT & READ

Reach Out & Read is a nonprofit organization that provides young children with free age appropriate books and encourages families to read aloud together. Its members give young children a foundation for success by incorporating books into pediatrics care and encouraging families to read aloud together. 

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During well visits, Reach Out & Read pediatricians give each child a new developmentally-appropriate book to take home. They talk with parents about the benefits of reading aloud and sharing with their young children beginning at birth. They show them how to hold books to best engage their children and how to interact with the text and images to help them follow along. They share advice for talking about stories with infants, toddlers, and preschoolers.

 

Books also can be useful for parents who don’t read. Reach Out and Read pediatricians will encourage them to talk about the story that the pictures tell. The goal is to help families gain a deeper understanding of why to make reading and storytelling a daily habit, and leave inspired to cuddle up with their young one and a book.

 

By making reading aloud a daily activity, Reach Out & Read helps ensure that all children have the healthy foundation they need—cognitively, socially, and emotionally.