Welcome to the Reach Out and Read Volunteer Online Orientation! Volunteers play a special role in Reach Out and Read programs. They come from all walks of life but have in common two important traits: a love of books and a genuine interest in helping children. Volunteers read to children, modeling book-sharing techniques for parents, showing them by example that reading aloud is fun for adults and children, and demonstrating ways to make it work. By reading to children in a pediatric clinic waiting room, volunteers take a time that would otherwise be stressful, boring or filled with anxiety, and transform it into a pleasant experience.

Volunteer readers are often the first face of ROR that parents and children see when they arrive for their visit. By listening to stories, children learn that they enjoy books, and that being read to is a treat - a message that will be reinforced by the doctor in the medical visit. By watching volunteer readers with children, parents learn how reading aloud works and see how much their child enjoys the experience. Hopefully, the parent will repeat this activity at home!

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