Education News

July 29, 2010
Michael F. Shaughnessy

1) Earl, could you please tell us exactly what this " Reach Out and Read " Program is all about?

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. Fourteen research studies demonstrate that families served by Reach Out and Read do in fact, read together more often, and their children enter kindergarten better prepared to achieve their potential, with larger vocabularies, stronger language skills, and a six-month developmental edge.

2) When did it start and whose idea was it?

In March 1989, pediatricians Barry Zuckerman and Robert Needlman, working together with early childhood educators Jean Nigro, Kathleen MacLean, and Kathleen Fitzgerald-Rice, developed the three-part Reach Out and Read model and launched the first Reach Out and Read Program at Boston City Hospital (now Boston Medical Center).

Drs. Needlman and Zuckerman recognized that many of the families they served, including most of their low-income patients, had few children’s books in their homes, if any at all.  They knew that without parents reading to them daily, our children would arrive at school behind their peers and many of them would never catch up.  Reach Out and Read is about supporting our parents and giving them the tools to prepare their children for success in school.

3) I see from your web site that you get a lot of pediatricians involved. How do you go about this?

From the very beginning, Reach Out and Read has been a grassroots movement.  For the first 10 years of the program’s existence, Reach Out and Read spread through the pediatric community by word-of-mouth – at conferences, grand rounds, and meetings.  As pediatricians and family physicians learned about the program and how it strengthens the relationship between doctor and family, more and more wanted to join.

In the year 2000, Reach Out and Read received federal funding for the first time, which enabled the program to expand to underserved communities nationwide.

Participating doctors have found that Reach Out and Read isn’t simply an add-on to the regular pediatric checkup—it becomes an integral part of every visit.  Doctors observe how the infants and their parents interact with the book and react to it throughout the visit, gathering critical information about childhood development.

4) Do you espouse a particular pedagogical philosophy?

Reach Out and Read believes that parents are children’s first and most important educators.  Therefore, our doctors use the influence and trust they’ve developed with parents to educate them about the importance of reading aloud and share age-appropriate reading tips with them.

Reach Out and Read’s providers know how to engage parents of all backgrounds—non-English speaking, low literacy levels, etc.—so that every parent can take an active role in introducing children to the world of books and prepare them for school success.

5) How much time do you contribute to this cause?

Helping children realize their potential is my life’s work. As Chief Executive Officer of Reach Out and Read, I am extraordinarily proud to lead a team of 30,000 doctors, nurses, staff, and volunteers nationwide, who are all deeply committed to our mission of ensuring that every child arrives at school ready to read, and ready to excel.

6) Now, do you have a web site and what would those interested readers find there?

This year, we completed redesigned our national website (www.reachoutandread.org) so that it’s much easier to locate the incredible resources we have to offer to doctors, educators, and of course, parents.  There’s a brand-new “School Readiness Center” (http://www.reachoutandread.org/parents/) specifically designed for parents that includes age-appropriate reading tips, developmental milestones of early literacy, and hundreds of doctor-recommended books for children of all ages.  It’s a one-stop shop for getting your kids ready for school.  We also have all the latest research on early literacy and school readiness.

7) Now, can you tell us a bit about yourself and what led you to devote your time to " Reach Out and Read"?

I spent the first two years of my life in the foster care system. At that time, 70% of the Black boys in the Massachusetts foster care system were destined to end up in prison by the time they were 21. I graduated from Yale University and Harvard Law School, have an incredible family, and am living my life’s purpose. What made the difference? In large part, the commitment of others. Generous donors who supported the non-profit that cared for me.

My social worker, Fran Decker, who ensured that I remained safe until I could be placed into the perfect family—which she successfully achieved.

My mom and dad, who after having seven children by natural birth decided to raise an eighth. My siblings, who helped shape me to become the man who I am. And so many more.

In my opinion, there is no higher calling than helping others—particularly children—realize their tremendous, innate potential. I devote my time to Reach Out and Read because it is a true blessing to try to do for others what was done for me.

8) Finish this sentence:

If you put a good book in a child's hands early enough...

...you will maximize their chances for success in school, and in life.

9) Why, in your mind is it important to have parents read to their kids?

Reading aloud to young children is the single most effective thing parents can do to help prepare their children to succeed in school. Unfortunately, fewer than half (48%) of U.S. children ages 5 and under are read to every day, placing them at risk for reading delays and school failure.

Below are some of the most important benefits of reading aloud to young children:

Children who live in print-rich environments and who are read to during the first years of life are much more likely to learn to read on schedule.

Reading aloud to young children is not only one of the best activities to stimulate language and cognitive skills; it also builds motivation, curiosity, and memory.

Early language skills, the foundation for reading ability and school readiness, are based primarily on language exposure - resulting from parents and other adults talking to young children.

Research shows that the more words parents use when speaking to an 8-month-old infant, the greater the size of their child's vocabulary at age 3. The landmark Hart-Risley study on language development documented that children from low-income families hear as many as 30 million fewer words than their more affluent peers before the age of 3.

Books contain many words that children are unlikely to encounter frequently in spoken language. Children's books actually contain 50% more rare words than primetime television or even college students’ conversations.

The nurturing and one-on-one attention from parents during reading aloud encourages children to form a positive association with books and reading later in life.

Reading aloud is a proven technique to help children cope during times of stress or tragedy.

Reading difficulty contributes to school failure, which increases the risk of absenteeism, leaving school, juvenile delinquency, substance abuse, and teenage pregnancy - all of which perpetuate the cycles of poverty and dependency.

10) What have I neglected to ask?

What makes Reach Out and Read different from most other school readiness or educational initiatives is that we have both a strong evidence base (14 published research studies) and scale (3.9 million children and families served at 4,535 locations across all 50 states).   Our focus on and support of parents as their child’s most important teacher is also unique.  All of this provides Reach Out and Read with the opportunity to make a significant impact in the school readiness of children nationwide and on the quality of education throughout the U.S.  I believe that with time and resources, we can achieve that goal in the next decade.

To support Reach Out and Read, visit https://www.reachoutandread.org/supporters/contribute/donation.aspx .