Reading is doctor-recommended

Reach Out and Read-Alabama had a great 2011 thanks to you!
On behalf of the nearly 80,000 children and families Reach Out and Read-Alabama serves, thank you for your support in 2011, and we are looking forward to another year of success!

To view the exciting happenings of the past year, please view our End of Year Report.

Reach Out and Read has joined forces with Attendance Works, a national project that focuses on promoting the importance of good attendance, to develop a one-page overview specifically around attendance in the "early years".  The document is designed to help parents see the importance of attending school regularly, and can be a helpful reminder to Reach Out and Read providers that they can contribute to this important conversation.  We believe that this message, specifically for the 5-year visit, is one that complements the official culmination of the Reach Out and Read program, as families are getting ready for kindergarten.

Give Us 1 Story...and We'll Give You 100!

Reach Out and Read is proud to announce a brand-new contest that will support our fundraising, quality improvement, and expansion efforts nationwide and reward Sites with new books at the same time!

In order to secure the resources we need to provide the highest quality program to the 4 million families we currently serve and expand to reach millions more, we need powerful stories that we can share with potential partners and funders. Stories that demonstrate the impact of the Reach Out and Read program on the children and families we serve.

That's where you come in. We are asking all doctors, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and staff who participate in Reach Out and Read to submit anecdotes and moving stories.

Each month, we will randomly select one entry, and the winner's Site will receive a gift of 100 brand-new books from Reach Out and Read!

Our Mission
Reach Out and Read prepares America's youngest children to succeed in school by partnering with doctors to prescribe books and encourage families to read together.

Doctors, nurse practitioners, 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.  The program begins at the 6-month checkup and continues through age 5, with a special emphasis on children growing up in low-income communities.

Reach Out and Read Model

Pediatric healthcare providers (including pediatricians, family physicians, and pediatric nurse practitioners) 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. Where possible, volunteer readers engage the children, modeling for parents the pleasures - and techniques - of reading aloud.

Reach Out and Read-Alabama is an early literary program of the Alabama Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, affiliated with the Reach Out and Read National Center.