The Power of a Book
Reach Out and Read was developed by pediatricians and early childhood educators who recognized that early exposure to books and reading greatly increases a child’s chance for healthy development and school success.
A national nonprofit organization since 1989 now reaching 3.8 million low-income families each year, Reach Out and Read builds on the unique relationship between doctors and patients to spread the message that reading aloud is the most important thing parents can do to help their children love books and start school ready to learn.
How ROR Works
Here’s how Reach Out and Read works to make books part of a healthy childhood:
- At every checkup, Reach Out and Read doctors and nurses encourage parents to read aloud to their young children. Parents who have difficulty reading are encouraged to invent stories to go with picture books and name objects with their children.
- During the checkup, every ROR child between the ages of 6 months and 5 years is given a new, developmentally-appropriate book to take home.
- Reach Out and Read builds literacy-rich waiting room environments, often featuring volunteer readers, where parents and children can experience the joys of looking at books together.