Reach Out and Read
During the preschool years, too many children have not acquired the language skills necessary for literacy acquisition. In Arizona, only 24% of our fourth grade students are proficient or better in reading and only 43% of our children under five years of age are read to daily.
Why is this important? Reading aloud to a child is the single most important activity for building the knowledge required for eventual success in reading. It provides the richest exposure to language of any parent-child activity and also promotes emotional bonding and health.
Reach Out and Read, a pediatric office based program, offers an evidence-based cost -effective strategy to help families read aloud daily by providing both advice and age appropriate books to children at well child visits between 6 months and 5 years of age. While ROR programs already operate in 138 clinics in Arizona, they only reach about 1/3 of the children living in poverty and 1/5 of all children under age five. Adopting the program on a statewide basis and working with Reach Out and Read Arizona to bring the program to all high risk children could have a marked impact on early language and literacy experiences, paving the way for later school success.
To learn more about or participate in this workgroup, contact its leader, Pat VanMaanen, RN, MS at pat@rorarizona.org.
To learn about the Reach Out and Read Arizona Coalition, go to www.rorarizona.org.
NEW RESEARCH ON ROR AND SCHOOL READINESS