The Reach Out and Read three-part literacy promotion model is developed by pediatricians Barry Zuckerman and Robert Needlman and early childhood educators Jean Nigro, Kathleen MacLean, and Kathleen Fitzgerald-Rice, who together introduce the first Reach Out and Read Program at Boston City Hospital (now Boston Medical Center).

The first peer-reviewed study on Reach Out and Read, "Clinic-Based Intervention to Promote Literacy - A Pilot Study" by Dr. Robert Needlman, is published in the American Journal of Diseases in Children, finding that parents who are given books and literacy guidance are four times more likely to report reading aloud at home.

A three-year grant from the Annie E. Casey Foundation provides substantial funding to expand and replicate Reach Out and Read nationwide.

The Reach Out and Read Program Manual and training materials are developed and disseminated to all existing Programs.

Reach Out and Read works with the American Academy of Pediatrics Community Access to Child Health Program (CATCH) to foster program expansion and training, helping to more than double the number of Programs in one year.

Reach Out and Read Founder Dr. Robert Needlman and National Medical Director Dr. Perri Klass found the "Literacy Development Programs in Primary Care" Special Interest Group (SIG) as a forum to share best practices and research on Reach Out and Read, and host the first meeting of the SIG at the Pediatric Academic Societies Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. The Reach Out and Read/Literacy SIG has met at PAS every subsequent year as well.

The White House Prescription for Reading Partnership, a public-private partnership designed to promote early literacy, is launched with Reach Out and Read as a key partner.

Reach Out and Read forms and locates the Reach Out and Read National Center in Boston, under the direction of National Medical Director Dr. Perri Klass.

Reach Out and Read launches campaign with the National Association of Community Health Centers to introduce the Reach Out and Read model at 400 community health centers nationwide by the year 2000. By 2010, more than 1,450 community health centers had joined Reach Out and Read.

Scholastic Inc. issues the first Challenge Grant to Reach Out and Read.

The first Reach Out and Read Regional Coalition is founded - Reach Out and Read of Greater New York.

The American Academy of Pediatrics officially endorses Reach Out and Read model of early literacy promotion.

Reach Out and Read Medical Director Dr. Perri Klass testifies before the U.S. Senate on the importance of literacy promotion by providers of pediatric care.

Reach Out and Read and Scholastic Inc. publish the first Reach Out and Read Book Catalog, offering children's books at significant discounts to Reach Out and Read Programs.

Reach Out and Read Coalitions are founded in Kansas City, Rhode Island, and South Carolina.

Reach Out and Read's 10th Anniversary Celebration is held at Boston Medical Center with First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton as keynote speaker.

Pediatrics, the official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, publishes Dr. Natalie Golova's study, which found that the odds that parents read aloud to their children three or more days per week are ten times higher for families in the Reach Out and Read program.

The Reach Out and Read national website (www.reachoutandread.org) is launched.

Reach Out and Read becomes an independent 501(c)(3) organization and forms its first national Board of Directors.

Reach Out and Read Coalitions are founded in Massachusetts and Texas.

Reach Out and Read is awarded its first federal appropriation of $2 million through the Department of Education's Fund for the Improvement of Education (FIE) for continued national expansion. Reach Out and Read has received federal funding every subsequent year as well.

Reach Out and Read receives its first state funding - a $500,000 matching grant from the Massachusetts Department of Education for statewide expansion and support of Massachusetts Programs. Reach Out and Read Massachusetts has received state funding from the Commonwealth every subsequent year as well.

Pediatrics publishes Dr. Pamela High's study, which finds that children participating in Reach Out and Read score significantly higher than their peers on language assessments, both for speaking and understanding.

Reach Out and Read hosts its first National Conference in Boston.

The Reach Out and Read-Louisiana and Reach Out and Read-Vermont Coalitions are founded.

10,000 doctors and nurses have been trained in the Reach Out and Read model.

Reach Out and Read receives its first $1 million grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation for program expansion.

First Lady Laura Bush names Reach Out and Read a key component of her "Ready to Read, Ready to Learn" initiative.

Pediatrics publishes Dr. Alan Mendelsohn's study, which finds that children in the Reach Out and Read program score significantly higher than their peers on vocabulary tests.

Reach Out and Read Coalitions are founded in Arizona, Greater Baltimore, Greater Washington, D.C., Solano County (CA), and Upstate New York.

Reach Out and Read and Boston University School of Medicine introduce an online Continuing Medical Education (CME) course for Reach Out and Read providers.

First Lady Laura Bush delivers keynote address on Reach Out and Read and early literacy promotion to American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference.

Reach Out and Read Coalitions are founded in Greater Philadelphia and Indiana.

The State of South Dakota launches initiative to make the Reach Out and Read model a standard part of pediatric care through its Medicaid program - the first state in the U.S. to embed the program in its healthcare delivery system.

Reach Out and Read first receives Charity Navigator's highest rating - "Four Stars."

Reach Out and Read Coalitions are founded in Florida and South Dakota.

Kaiser Permanente incorporates Reach Out and Read into standard pediatric care, marking the first major expansion of Reach Out and Read within an HMO.

Reach Out and Read Celebrates its 15th Anniversary.

A major two-year grant from the Hasbro Children's Foundation enables Reach Out and Read to officially launch the Rural Outreach Initiative, targeting children in areas with few early childhood development programs.

Eleven published research studies now support the Reach Out and Read intervention.

Reach Out and Read Coalitions are founded in Colorado, Virginia, and Los Angeles.

Reach Out and Read Coalition Leaders nationwide participate in the first Reach Out and Read Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill.

The Reach Out and Read National Center hosts its first "Read and Romp" fundraising event for children and families, based on an event created by Reach Out and Read Texas. The event has been held every subsequent year as well.

Reach Out and Read affiliates with the Pediatric Academic Societies to host the ROR National Conference at the PAS Annual Meeting.

A $10 million federal appropriation enables Reach Out and Read to start up an additional 500 Programs nationwide and serve an additional 400,000 children.

Independent Charities of America awards Reach Out and Read the Seal of Excellence.

Reach Out and Read Coalitions are founded in St. Louis (Gateway), Iowa, Orange County (CA), and San Diego.

Reach Out and Read is the only American literacy program featured at the White House Conference on Global Literacy.

Reach Out and Read distributes its 20 millionth book.

Reach Out and Read hosts its first annual Read Romp + Rock fundraising event, a non-gala gala intended for adults to support Reach Out and Read Programs.

Reach Out and Read Coalitions are founded in Alabama, Connecticut, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, and Ohio.

The United National Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) awards Reach Out and Read the international Confucius Prize for Literacy for its work in the fight against illiteracy.

Reach Out and Read launches Leyendo Juntos (Reading Together), its initiative targeted to Spanish-speaking families and providers.

With support from the American Academy of Pediatrics' Committee on Native American Child Health, Reach Out and Read launches the American Indian/Alaskan Native Initiative to serve Native Americans nationwide.

Federal funding is approved for expansion of Reach Out and Read onto 20 U.S. military bases.

Reach Out and Read Coalitions are founded in New Jersey, Utah, and Washington State.

Reach Out and Read is featured on NBC's Nightly News as the focus of its "What Works" segment.

The National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP) officially endorses Reach Out and Read model of early literacy promotion.

The Reach Out and Read Arkansas, Reach Out and Read Kentucky, Reach Out and Read in the Military, and the Reach Out and Read American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) Coalitions are founded.

The American Academy of Pediatrics' Section on Behavioral and Developmental Pediatrics presents the 2008 Dale Richmond/Justin Coleman Award to Reach Out and Read for outstanding contributions in child development and the 2008 C. Anderson Aldrich Award to Reach Out and Read Founder Barry Zuckerman, M.D., in recognition of his substantial work in the field of child development.

The American Academy of Pediatrics also presents the 2008 Native American Child Health Advocacy Award to Dr. Steve Holve, co-Medical Director of Reach Out and Read's American Indian/Alaska Native Coalition.

Fast Company and the Monitor Group present Reach Out and Read with the 2008 Social Capitalist Award.

Reach Out and Read celebrates its 20th Anniversary.

Reach Out and Read receives Charity Navigator's highest rating - "Four Stars" - for the fifth consecutive year.

Reach Out and Read in the Military expands to a total of 35 U.S. military bases, serving more than 25% of children of military families.

Reach Out and Read expands Military Initiative to serve National Guard and Reserve families at civilian Reach Out and Read Programs nationwide.

GuideStar Exchange awards Reach Out and Read its "Valued Partner" designation.

Fourteen published research studies now demonstrate the effectiveness of Reach Out and Read.

Reach Out and Read launches its first virtual book drives with the Estee Lauder Companies and BAE Systems.

The Reach Out and Read Oklahoma Coalition is founded, bringing the total number of ROR Coalitions to 38 nationwide.

Reach Out and Read participates in President Obama's "United We Serve" community service initiative, providing more than 2,000 volunteer opportunities nationwide and welcoming U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Service Kathleen Sebelius to the Reach Out and Read Program at Takoma Park Pediatrics in Maryland.

Reach Out and Read translates national website into Spanish: http://www.reachoutandread.org/esp/

Reach Out and Read modernizes official training program for medical providers, including embedded videos and the latest research and best practices.

More than 26,500 volunteer doctors, nurse practitioners, and other medical professionals now participate in Reach Out and Read.

Reach Out and Read now serves more than one-third of American children living in poverty.

*March 2010 Projections of Numbers of Programs, Books, and Children