First 5 San Bernardino and American Academy of Pediatrics, California Chapter 2 have partnered to bring an early literacy initiative to pediatric care waiting rooms.
Reach Out & Read® is a national program that distributes books through pediatricians to connect reading as a vital practice for quality early childhood development. While in the waiting room, volunteer readers or parents themselves are provided books to read to their children, increasing the child’s interaction and exposure to words. Parents of children ages 5 and under will able to take prescribed books home to build their child’s library and early literacy capacity.
“This partnership leverages the timing of well-child check-ups to reinforce reading as a critical activity for brain development in the first five years of life,” says Karen E. Scott, Executive Director of First 5 San Bernardino. “A partnership with our local pediatricians through this program is timely as our county acknowledges the needs of literacy programs through the Vision2Read campaign. We hope to find pediatricians that are interested offering this added benefit of developmental support to their patients.”
Edward Curry, MD, FAAP, Vice President of American Academy of Pediatrics, California Chapter 2 says, “Reach Out and Read is an opportunity to address the holistic well-being of our developing patients and cultivate bonding activities with their parents. The results from this program implementation across the nation are impressive and we’re looking to have that same impact on children in San Bernardino County.”
First 5 San Bernardino in partnership with American Academy of Pediatrics, California Chapter 2 is hosting an informational dinner for pediatricians, pediatric subspecialists and pediatric medical representatives to introduce the program and gain interest from the local medical community. The first event, ROAR & Explore the Possibilities!, is set for Thursday, Nov. 5, at the office of First 5 San Bernardino located at 735 E. Carnegie Drive, Suite 150 in San Bernardino from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Details on an additional dinner targeting the High Desert region are forthcoming.
For more information on this initiative in San Bernardino County or to register and RSVP for the informational dinner, visit http://bit.ly/roarsanbernardino or call (909) 386-7706. For information on the national program, visit www.reachoutandread.org.