BRENHAM CLINIC TO HOST “REACH OUT AND READ”

  

Getting books from the doctor will soon be a routine part of regular pediatric checkups at the Brenham Clinic, as doctors and nurses welcome the Reach Out and Read program to the practice. Join the Brenham Clinic as they launch Reach Out and Read on May 28th at 5 p.m. at 600 N. Park Street.

Brenham Clinic joins more than 5,000 program sites nationwide that are preparing America’s youngest children to succeed in school.

There will be celebrity readers, kid’s activities, snacks, the dedication of the Rybarski family reading room and more! RSVP to 979-836-6153.

Doctors and other medical professionals incorporate Reach Out and Read's evidence-based model into regular pediatric checkups by advising parents about the importance of reading aloud and giving developmentally-appropriate books to children. They are essentially providing families with “prescriptions to read.”

Reach Out and Read begins at the 6-month checkup and continues through age 5, with a special emphasis on children growing up in low-income communities. Families served by the program read together more often, and their children enter kindergarten with larger vocabularies and stronger language skills, better prepared to achieve their potential.

Pediatric healthcare providers are trained in the three-part Reach Out and Read model to promote early literacy and school readiness:

  • In the exam room, doctors and nurses speak with parents about the importance of reading aloud to their young children every day, and offer age-appropriate tips and encouragement.
  • The pediatric primary care provider gives every child 6 months through 5 years old a new, developmentally-appropriate children's book to take home and keep.
  • In the waiting room, displays, information, and books create a literacy-rich environment. Volunteer readers entertain children, modeling for parents the pleasures and techniques of reading aloud.

Reach Out and Read is a proven intervention that delivers results, and is supported by 15 independent, published research studies. During the preschool years, children served by Reach Out and Read score three to six months ahead of their non-Reach Out and Read peers on vocabulary tests. These foundational language skills help start children on a path of success when they enter school.

“We are very excited to bring this program to our community,” said Jennifer Jones, M.D., a pediatrician at the Brenham Clinic. “Our desire is to be a resource for our patients and parents, providing care that encourages not just healthy bodies but healthy minds as well.”

About Reach Out and Read

Reach Out and Read is an evidence-based nonprofit organization of medical providers who promote early literacy and school readiness in pediatric exam rooms nationwide by giving new books to children and advice to parents about the importance of reading aloud. The end goal of Reach Out and Read is to prepare all children to enter kindergarten ready to read, learn, and succeed. The Reach Out and Read model is endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the program has one of the strongest records of research support of any primary care intervention. This year, Reach Out and Read’s 20,000 volunteer medical providers will distribute 6.5 million new books to 4 million children at more than 5,000 healthcare locations in all 50 states.

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One Comment

  1. As a public and private educator I believe that this program is an awesome way to reinforce the need for reading at an early age. This gives children, especially from low income households the best opportunity to to develop language and literacy skills for future success. Kudos to all of the practitioners & others who get involved!!!

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