Reach Out and Read

Results: Reach Out and Read was founded in 1989 at Boston City Hospital (now Boston Medical Center) by pediatricians and educators who recognized the profound significance of early childhood in setting the stage for achievement. To take advantage of this exceptional window of developmental opportunity, they implemented a unique approach: making reading aloud a "doctor-recommended" activity. After 30 years, Reach Out and Read has expanded from 1 clinic, 2 pediatricians, and 500 children and families to working with 33,000 pediatric providers at 6,100 healthcare locations nationally. Annually, we impact 4.5 million children and distribute over 7 million new, developmentally and culturally appropriate books. Over fifteen published research studies show that families served by Reach Out and Read have more books in the home, are more likely to read to their children, and are more likely to enjoy reading together (High et al. 2000, Weitzman et al. 2004, Needlman et al. 2005). Children served by Reach Out and Read also improve their language development. For example, children from high-risk urban families who were exposed to the program had higher receptive and expressive language scores (Mendelsohn et al. 2001). Among children aged 33-39 months attending a well-child clinic in Louisville, Kentucky, expressive and receptive language scores were significantly associated with the number of Reach Out and Read-enhanced well-child visits they had attended, suggesting that increased program dosage is associated with larger impacts (Theriot et al. 2003). In a landmark 2014 policy statement, the American Academy of Pediatrics cited the body of research on Reach Out and Read in calling literacy promotion “an essential component of primary care pediatric practice.” “Research has revealed that parents listen and children learn as a result of literacy promotion by pediatricians, which provides a practical and evidence-based opportunity to support early brain development in primary care practice,” the policy statement reads. The American Academy of Pediatrics “recommends that pediatric providers promote early literacy development for children beginning in infancy and continuing at least until the age of kindergarten entry.”

Target demographics: We develop early literacy skills in young children, foster healthy social-emotional development and early brain development, and build strong family bonds. We focus on children growing up in low income families as they are at the highest risk for reading and school failure.

Direct beneficiaries per year: 4.5 million children through 6,100 clinical locations nationally

Geographic areas served: all 50 states, we are a national organization

Programs: Reach Out and Read’s unique approach to developing early literacy skills and fostering healthy brain and social-emotional development is delivered in partnership with pediatric healthcare providers, particularly those serving high-need patient populations. Our model is supportively and non-invasively integrated into routine pediatric checkups starting in infancy through the five year visit. Families have the benefit of receiving repeated exposure to our intervention, typically occurring at 2/3 days; 1, 2, 4, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, and 24 months; and 3, 4, and 5 years. When families bring their child for a well-child visit, a trained medical provider discusses the importance of reading aloud together, at least twenty minutes a day, starting in infancy. Strategies for language development and promotion of early literacy are modeled for parents, and techniques and materials are modified for adults who have low literacy skills or speak another language at home. The child also receives a new book to build their home library. The distribution of the book gives the doctor a unique evaluative tool, allowing assessment of the child’s development by her ability to turn pages, recognize numbers and letters, and engage in other age-appropriate reading activities. Our intervention is individualized to each family to support equity, diversity, and inclusion—it is not “one size fits all.” Although the basic framework of our intervention is consistent, our providers are trained to understand and meet the unique needs of each child and family, just as they do when addressing other aspects of health and development. Therefore, we have developed several targeted initiatives that make our program accessible for communities and families with unique challenges. Developmental Disabilities: As part of our special initiatives program, we created a guide for families and medical providers of children with disabilities to help them make reading an enjoyable part of their routine. American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) Initiative: Established in 2007 in coordination with the American Academy of Pediatrics and Indian Health Service (IHS), the AI/AN Initiative focuses on providing Reach Out and Read to IHS/Tribal/Urban health clinics nationwide. As a group, AI/AN children have the lowest test scores, high school graduation rates, and college entry/graduation rates of any minority group in the United States, making early education and early literacy programs like Reach Out and Read critical. Leyendo Juntos (Reading Together): Approximately 78 percent of Reach Out and Read programs nationwide serve families whose primary language is Spanish. Because these medical providers develop a trusted relationship with the families they serve early in a child’s life, they are well-suited to emphasize the importance of language and reading to the Latino families they serve. Leyendo Juntos was created to develop linguistically-appropriate training and materials for Reach Out and Read providers who serve Spanish-speaking families. Reach Out and Read has developed an online medical provider training and materials for Spanish-speaking providers, volunteers, and parents. Military Initiative: Because of the unique challenges military families face (including frequent relocations, separation during deployment, and the risk of injury to or loss of a parent), Reach Out and Read launched an initiative in 2006 to expand support to military families worldwide. Reach Out and Read programs serve active-duty families on bases worldwide, as well as National Guard and Reserve families through our thousands of civilian programs in the United States. Reach Out and Read Counts: In 2018, Reach Out and Read introduced an innovative early math initiative to address the math gap that appears in early childhood and predicts math achievement as far as 8th grade. Integrated into the proven Reach Out and Read model, pediatric clinicians provide parents with simple suggestions for engaging with their child through sharing books and using ‘math talk’ and puts primary emphasis on having fun together.