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. A National Pediatric early literacy Program - The Gateway/St. Louis Coalition is housed and Coordinated from SSM Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center. There are 31 sites in the metro area in this Coalition, one being the Danis Pediatric Clinic at SSM Cardinal Glennon.
Click below to hear the PSA by Matt and Leslee Holliday
The Model
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.
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.
Why Reach Out and Read? The importance of early literacy and early intervention.
34% of American children entering kindergarten lack the basic language skills they will need to learn to read.
Only 48% of parents in the U.S. read to their young children daily.
Families living in poverty often lack the money to buy new books, and may not have access to libraries.
Reach Out and Read Works
An SSM Cardinal Glennon patient being read to by Kenneth Haller, M.D.
Research shows that Reach Out and Read improves the home literacy environment and developmental outcomes for children growing up in poverty. The children served by Reach Out and Read enter kindergarten better prepared to succeed, with a home library of 10 brand-new children’s books and highly engaged parents. Fourteen published research studies indicate that when families participate in Reach Out and Read:
Parents are four times more likely to read to their children.
Children show a six-month developmental edge over their peers in the preschool years.
Children score higher on vocabulary tests and school readiness assessments.
Nationally we serve 3.9 million children annually and distribute 6.5 million books annually. In Missouri we serve 46,477 children annually and distribute 75,477 books annually. In Illinois we serve 137,938 children annually and distribute 155,768 books annually.
Some of our Supporters
Reach Out and Read is the model of a successful public-private partnership and is supported by funding from individuals, corporations and foundations. Reach Out and Read also partners with a number of medical, literacy, and early childhood advocacy organizations who strongly support our mission of ensuring that every child arrives at kindergarten ready to read and ready to succeed. The Reach Out and Read model is endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners.
You Can Help Prepare Young Children to Succeed in School! Donations provide new age-appropriate books for our sites. Each gift of $50 will enable Reach Out and Read to provide the full five-year program to one more child.
For more information please contact: Jimmie Carter Reach Out and Read Coalition Coordinator SSM Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center 314-678-6629
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