Reach Out and Read collaborates with Gaston County Health Services to provide age-appropriate books to children aged six months to five years. During each well-child visit, doctors give a book to the child, emphasizing the importance of parents reading to their children and fostering early literacy skills.

How the Program Works

• Books at Health Checkups: Every child receives a book suitable for their age during routine health visits.
• Healthcare Provider Engagement: Doctors and nurses trained in the program use books as clinical tools, encouraging parents to read aloud and engage in meaningful conversations with their children.
• Strengthening Parent-Child Relationships: By promoting reading at home, the program offers families a simple and practical way to spend quality time together.
  
  

The Importance of Early Literacy

Research highlights that the first five years of life are critical for brain development—a period of rapid growth not replicated at any other time. Unfortunately, many children, especially from low-income families, are not read to from birth, leading to a lack of basic literacy skills when they start school.

Key Findings from the American Academy of Pediatrics:

• Early Skill Gaps: More than 1 in 3 American children begin kindergarten without the foundational skills needed to learn to read.
• Academic Advantages: Children introduced to reading early tend to read sooner and excel in school compared to those who are not exposed to books at a young age.
• Lifetime Benefits: Regular reading with young children stimulates optimal brain development and strengthens parent-child relationships, building language, literacy, and social-emotional skills that last a lifetime.

Why It Matters

By partnering with healthcare providers to “prescribe” books and encourage family reading time, Reach Out and Read prepares America’s youngest children for success in school and beyond. Reading regularly not only boosts cognitive development but also fosters strong emotional bonds between parents and children.