Reach Out and Read is an evidence-based nonprofit organization of medical providers who promote early literacy and school readiness in pediatric exam rooms nationwide by giving new books to children and advice to parents about the importance of reading aloud. Reach Out and Read builds on the unique relationship between parents and medical providers to develop critical early reading skills in children, beginning at 6 months of age. Reach Out and Read serves more than 4 million children and their families annually. Reach Out and Read families read together more often, and their children enter kindergarten better prepared to succeed, with larger vocabularies and stronger language skills. Our 52 program sites across the state are focused on making connections that begin in the pediatric healthcare providers’ offices as they prescribe books to support families in understanding their children’s developmental milestones. Those connections then continue in the home as parents or caregivers read books together with their young children, fostering healthy brain development and creating strong bonds that last a lifetime.
