Reach Out and Read Medical Leadership

The Reach Out and Read Medical Leadership network unites clinicians across the country who are deeply involved with Reach Out and Read, going beyond implementation of the model. This group of medical leaders can explore timely news, training, resources and research, plus opportunities — based on individual interest and expertise — to engage with the National office to support and guide Reach Out and Read.

Join Our Community

Interested in engaging with clinicians across the Reach Out and Read network? Learn what’s happening in their exam rooms, read thoughts on research and news, share your own exam room experiences, and so much more in the the quarterly Medical Leadership Newsletter. Click here to join the list!

Plus: Find additional engagement opportunities, like training and research, below.

Latest News

Keep up to date on new research and news!

Our team — in collaboration with Medical Leadership — will add news to this section biweekly. Find new articles here, share them with colleagues and peers, and even contribute your own thoughts.

You can submit your reflection or commentary on one of these articles here. Each quarter, we’ll use one in our Medical Leadership Newsletter.

Proceed with Caution: Framing Early Childhood Development as a Health Issue

The Frameworks Institute, a nonprofit focused on strategic communications research, warns that framing early childhood development as a health issue can inadvertently emphasize personal responsibility over systemic solutions. Effective messaging should elevate the role of social and environmental factors to foster collective accountability for child well-being.

Read the complete article here.

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Parents and Caregivers Are Vital to Children’s Early Learning and Development

Developed by the University of Chicago’s TMW Center for Early Learning + Public Health, the 3Ts program—Tune In, Talk More, Take Turns—is designed to reduce disparities in early childhood language acquisition and developmental outcomes, particularly among children from low-income families. Founded by pediatric surgeon Dr. Dana Suskind, the program emphasizes parents’ role as their child’s first and most effective teacher by providing free, research-based resources to guide conversational interactions that foster brain and language development.

Read the complete article here.

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Longitudinal Associations Between Screen Use and Reading in Preschool-Aged Children

The commentary below has been provided by Dr. Stephanie Allen.

As electronics become more and more integrated into schools and home life, discussing the harms of extended use screen time has become one of the most common concerns addressed in any clinic working with a pediatric population. I have often found one of the most difficult parts of this conversation to be that while the majority of my parents see and agree with the ramifications of significant screen use, they may be at a loss for how to minimize time for their children. Here is where Reach Out and Read can offer valuable support to families in need, providing parents not just with the knowledge of the problems with screen time, but also offering support for what their children can be doing instead.

Dr. McArthur and collaborators have done excellent research in this area, with their research on longitudinal associations between screen use and reading demonstrating a clear link between lower reading activities and screen time. In their 2021 paper, 2440 mothers and children were assessed using a maternal report at 24, 36, and 60 months. They found that greater screen use at 24 months had a statistically significant association with lower reading levels at 36 month. The same finding was found with later age groups with greater screen use at 36 months having a statistically significant association with lower reading at 60 months. Using such research can help empower both clinicians and parents to understand the positive impacts of early life reading habits on later life screen use.

Read the complete study here.

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Proceed with Caution: Framing Early Childhood Development as a Health Issue
Parents and Caregivers Are Vital to Children’s Early Learning and Development
Longitudinal Associations Between Screen Use and Reading in Preschool-Aged Children
Training Opportunities
Interested in expanding your Reach Out and Read practice beyond Core Training? Learn more at the link below.
> Check Out Additional Training
Research
Reach Out and Read conducts research that shines a light on the positive outcomes of delivery of our model and reveals new areas where we can benefit young children, their families, and our network.
> Explore Our Approach
News Archive
Want to review a previously shared article? Did you miss our biweekly update? Find all of our previous articles archived here.
> Visit News Archive
Reach Out and Read Podcast
Among all the great podcast episodes, you’ll find bimonthly Science Sessions that highlight additional research.
> Listen Now
Clinician Spotlight
Get to know our Medical Leadership community! We’ll highlight work, recognize partnership, and share their passion for Reach Out and Read.
> Meet Dr. Chung
From My Exam
Room To Yours
Our model keeps us united! Hear directly from clinicians, reflecting on their Reach Out and Read practice.
> Read More