From: Carol Elbert <celbert_at_isunet.net>
Date: Sat, 06 Nov 2010 10:20:01 -0500

delsp=yes;

On Nov 6, 2010, at 9:44 AM, Payne, Rachel wrote:

Thanks for brining up programs where doctors "prescribe" reading with children to parents. Brooklyn Public Library has worked with Reach Out and Read (http://www.reachoutandread.org/) for several years and I have seen first hand the impact they can have on families who might otherwise read with their child.

I’m so glad to see Rachel Payne’s mention of Reach Out and Read. I’m a volunteer with this terrific research-based program. In Story County, Iowa, where I live, our local organization Raising Readers in

Story County (http://raising-readers.org/) works with local healthcare providers. We raise the funds to purchase the books given by the doctors. We also have a gift book program in cooperation with other agencies and give hundreds of quality books to children through

food pantries, WIC clinics, and home visit programs. As you can imagine, we are always fundraising. If you’d like to help us, visit 20

our website. If you want to learn about starting a Reach Out and Read program in your community, go to the national Reach Out and Read

website.

The Reach Out and Read program is a 3-part model: The healthcare providers give a new, age-appropriate book to each child at the well- child check-ups from 6 months to age 5. They talk to the parents about the importance of reading with their children. And they provide

a literacy-rich environment in the waiting rooms, sometimes with volunteers who read to children while they wait for appointments.

We know that children in families with low incomes are less likely to

start school with the important early literacy skills they need to become successful readers. We are working hard to make a difference.

Carol Elbert Ames, IA
Received on Sat 06 Nov 2010 10:20:01 AM CDT