Reach Out & Read
Reach Out and Read makes literacy promotion a standard part of pediatric primary care, so that children grow up with books and a love of reading. Reach Out and Read trains doctors and nurses to advise parents about the importance of reading aloud and to give books to children at pediatric checkups from six months through five years of age, with a special focus on children growing up in poverty. By building on the unique relationship between parents and medical providers, Reach Out and Read helps families and communities encourage early literacy skills so that children enter school prepared for success in reading.
The Reach Out and Read Model
In the exam room, doctors and nurses trained in the developmental strategies of early literacy encourage parents to read aloud to their young children and offer age-appropriate tips.
The pediatric primary care provider gives every child from age six months through five years a new, developmentally appropriate book to take home and keep.
In the waiting room, displays, information, and gently used books create a literacy-rich environment. Where possible, volunteer readers entertain the children, modeling for the parents the pleasures – and techniques – of reading aloud.
Associated Reach Out and Read Programs
UW Health
20 South Park Clinic Pediatrics
East Towne Clinic Pediatrics
West Towne Clinic Pediatrics
University Station Pediatrics
UW School of Medicine & Public Health
MEDiC Salvation Army Clinic
MEDiC Southside Clinic
Access Community Health Centers
Southside Clinic
Wingra Clinic
William T Evjue Clinic