Research: Research Overview

Since 1991 the ROR model has been studied by academic investigators in a variety of settings, providing a growing body of peer-reviewed research on the effects of the program. In fact, what distinguishes Reach Out and Read from other interventions is that it is evidence-based. A complete review of the research is included in the ROR Research Summary.

Research findings evaluating the impact of Reach Out and Read's efforts have been remarkably consistent. Compared to families which have not participated in ROR, parents who have received the Reach Out and Read intervention are significantly more likely to read to their children and have more children's books in the home. Most importantly, studies which examined language in young children found an association between the ROR intervention and statistically significant improvements in preschool language scores, a good predictor of later literacy success.

Recent research also shows that ROR is having a direct effect on literacy development:

Improving children's ability to express themselves verbally.

Increasing children's listening vocabularies.

Reducing the number of children with language delays that can prevent them from succeeding in school.

Some examples of the impact ROR can have:

Changing parents' attitudes about reading aloud.

Making reading aloud a favorite activity for more children.

Increasing young children's access to picture books.

Making bedtime stories a regular part of more children's lives.