Reading to children has important benefits that begin the moment they are born. Reading not only helps children learn words but creates an opportunity for family connection.
Dipesh Navsaria, MPH, MSLIS, MD, professor, Division of General Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, is a children’s librarian and the host of the Reach Out and Read podcast. He is an expert on early literacy and what it can do for both children and their parents.
“People, loving caring people who love interacting with their young children — that’s what drives development, all the research says that,” Navsaria said.
“Reading to children builds lifelong skills from birth, expert says” aired on NBC 26 on September 2, 2025.