(AAP News)
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Dr. Klass, a professor of journalism and pediatrics at New York University, helped found the Reach Out and Read program at Bellevue 30 years ago. She stressed the importance of early child literacy and how reading to a young child can help strengthen bonds between growing families.
“Sometimes, I stand in that waiting room at Bellevue and I see families going out toward those crowded subways carrying those beautiful colors of books, and I can see that the whole map of our city is brighter and more colorful,” Dr. Klass said.
During the plenary (“Turning Pages Together: How Pediatricians Rewrote the Book on Early Literacy” at the AAP National Conference & Exhibition), Dr. Klass announced the release of the AAP policy statement Literacy Promotion: An Essential Component of Primary Care Pediatric Practice, which marks the first update in AAP recommendations since 2014. Dr. Klass is a lead author of the policy and an accompanying technical report.
“Pediatricians have always understood that for children to thrive, you have to support their families and that the threats to their health include those infectious diseases, but they also include the social factors that can get in the way of learning, growing and flourishing,” Dr. Klass said. “What we come to understand is that what we’re really doing here is helping parents with the interactions and the words and stories and images and the back and forth and the joy and positive interactions and experiences which can shape a child’s life trajectory.”
Read the full article at AAP News here.
(Image credit: AAP News)
Also: Reading to Your Babies and Toddlers Is Vital, Says New Pediatric Update (New York Family)
“Reading together with young children weaves joyful language and rich interactive moments into the fabric of daily life,” says lead author (of the AAP’s new policy statement), Perri Klass, MD, a Professor of Journalism and Pediatrics at New York University.
Read the full article at New York Family here.
Also: America’s Pediatricians Want You to Read a Book With Your Child (HealthDay)
“As a pediatrician and parent, I suggest making books your bedtime routine, using them to connect and wind down after a busy day, and generally building them into life with a young child,” [Perri Klass] added in an AAP news release. “It will strengthen the bonds that you hold together, and build your child’s developing brain.”
Read the full article at HealthDay here.
Also: Commentary: It’s more important than ever to read to our kids (The Post and Courier)
“In [American Academy of Pediatrics’] new statement, the academy reinforces the importance of reading together as a critical component of a child’s healthy development, highlighting the role early literacy has on cognitive, emotional and social growth from birth. The new recommendation further validates [Reach Out and Read’s] work to ensure that every child, regardless of background, has the opportunity to experience the transformative power of books and shared reading.” — Dr. Susan Goldberg, Medical Director of Reach Out and Read South Carolina
Read the full article at The Post and Courier here.