Improving School Readiness through Reach Out and Read

Too many children arrive at kindergarten without the skills they need. Early brain development and economic research demonstrate that effective interventions in early childhood enhance school readiness outcomes. Reach Out and Read (ROR) is an evidence-based literacy program which builds on the “trusted messenger” role of doctors. ROR doctors talk with parents about child development and the importance of reading aloud; give families new books to take home at each well-child visit from age 6 months through 5 years; and create “literacy-rich” waiting rooms. ROR promotes nurturing parent-child relationships, educates and supports parents, and enhances early literacy skills. Several states, including Massachusetts and Washington, have built a base of doctors engaged in early learning through educating, supporting, and connecting doctors with early learning efforts and building a constituency engaged in early learning advocacy within their communities. ROR is cultivating pediatric medical providers across the country to be active proponents of ensuring children of all backgrounds arrive in kindergarten prepared to succeed. We strive to improve early learning outcomes by engaging doctor advocates at the family, community, and policy levels. Strategies include increasing the number of individual health supervision visits in which early literacy is promoted; enhancing the quality of ROR Programs by piloting, implementing and sustaining an effective training and technical assistance program; facilitating the integration of ROR into early childhood systems, and early learning initiatives, so that ROR is a standard part of early learning services; and assuring the sustainability of ROR Programs and supports.