Receiving a book will soon be a routine part of immunization visits at Eagle County Public Health, as the nurses welcome the Reach Out and Read program to their practice. Eagle County is joining more than 4,654 programs nationwide that are preparing America’s youngest children to succeed in school.
Reach Out and Read targets children growing up in lower-income households with limited access to books. The program includes three elements:
“Reach Out and Read is such an efficient and effective concept,” said Eagle County Public Health Director Jennifer Ludwig. “Childhood development experts tell us that the most important thing that parents can do to prepare their children to succeed in school is to read aloud to them every day. Promoting early literacy and school readiness through regular health care visits is a simple model that has a lasting, invaluable impact on the life of a child,” Ludwig said.According to Ludwig, research shows that literacy-promoting interventions by pediatric health care providers have a significant effect on parental behaviors, beliefs and attitudes toward reading aloud. For more than a decade, studies have indicated that parents who receive books and literacy counseling from their child’s pediatric health care providers are more likely to read to their young children, read to them more often, and provide more books in the home. In addition, children served by Reach Out and Read enter kindergarten with a six-month developmental edge, with larger vocabularies and stronger language skills.
For more information about Reach Out and Read, visit Reach Out and Read. To donate or volunteer as a reader, contact local program coordinator Theresa Carey at 970-328-8822.