EDUCATORS AND PEDIATRICIANS IN PARTNERSHIP Despite the well-established body of research showing the link between literacy and long-term health, education and medicine remain largely isolated sectors. Over the past 30 years, organizations around the country have created a movement to change that, bringing educators and healthcare workers together to keep literacy in the conversation around healthcare.
REACH OUT AND READ
Founded in 1989 at Boston Medical Center to address disparities in literacy rates among low-income children, Reach Out and Read’s design features three parts:
1. Pediatric medical professionals provide early literacy guidance to families at regular well-child appointments.
2. Children from birth to age five are provided a developmentally appropriate book at each office visit , with the aim of building an at-home library for each child, from infancy to age five.
3. Medical professionals provide each family with a “prescription” for 10 minutes of daily reading.
The results of early Reach Out and Read programs were impressive: The first research study found an eight-fold increase in parents reporting reading aloud as a favorite family activity (Zuckerman, 2009)—a powerful finding, as research indicates that joint parent-child reading increases children’s language skills, with quantity and quality of that reading determining children’s interest in reading as they age (Bingham, 2007).
Today, Reach Out and Read serves 4.2 million children nationwide, and studies of the program reveal a clear, powerful impact:
• Parents are 2.5 times more likely to read with their infants, toddlers, and preschoolers.
• Parents are 2 times more likely to read with their children three or more times per week.
• Families are 2.5 times more likely to enjoy reading together or to have books in the home.
• Children’s language development is improved by three to six months (Reach Out and Read, 2022).
READING FOR LIFE: THE IMPACT OF YOUTH LITERACY ON HEALTH OUTCOMES 10
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