|
|
|
“Giving a book to a young child, along with age appropriate advice about sharing books
for the parents, may be the only concrete activity a pediatrician can routinely do to promote child development.”
Barry S. Zuckerman, MD
The Reach Out and Read National Center works with more than 2,070 clinics and hospitals, and with more than 24,000 primary care medical providers to make sure that
young children are introduced to books and reading aloud at an early age. By building on the unique relationship between pediatric
primary care providers and parents of young children, doctors and nurses in ROR programs help families understand and promote
emergent literacy skills that begin as early as six months of age. |
|
|
| All approved ROR programs have three important components: |
| Doctors are trained to advise parents on the importance of reading aloud to young children
— including age-appropriate strategies for enjoying books with infants and toddlers. This is the "anticipatory guidance"
in the ROR model. |
| Children receive developmentally appropriate books from the doctor or nurse in the exam room
at each well child visit between six months and five years of age, along with anticipatory guidance for their parents. |
| Volunteers read aloud to children in waiting rooms, modeling behavior for parents whenever
possible, supervised by a ROR coordinator. | |
The Bay Pediatric Center is proud to be one of the few Reach Out and Read sites on Maryland's Eastern Shore. If you
are interested in learning more about the program or helping us to maintain funding for this vital program please talk to
one of our physicians. | |
|
