Reach Out and Read Celebrates its 20th Anniversary In March 1989, Boston City Hospital pediatricians Barry Zuckerman and Robert Needlman began handing out books to their youngest patients, offering advice to parents about the importance of reading aloud, and deploying volunteer readers in the pediatric clinic waiting room. That was the      birth of Reach Out and Read, one of the most successful early childhood interventions ever developed, which currently serves 25 percent of the nation’s at-risk infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. More than 20 million books have been distributed to children in the 20 years since Drs. Zuckerman and Needlman and early childhood educators Jean Nigro, Kathleen MacLean, and Kathleen Fitzgerald-Rice first developed the Reach Out and Read model: a brilliant, yet simple strategy to promote early literacy skills in young children and school readiness. Dr. Zuckerman said, "Pediatricians giving books should be as routine as pediatricians giving shots. Both are important for children.” Every child who participates in Reach Out and Read (ROR) starts kindergarten with a home library of up to 10 brand-new, developmentally-appropriate books and parents who have heard at every regular checkup about the importance of reading. Proven to improve school readiness, ROR focuses on those children at greatest risk -- children living at or near poverty -- during the critical years before they enter kindergarten. More than a dozen research studies demonstrate Reach Out and Read’s powerful impact, unmatched among other early literacy interventions. Studies show that parents who get books and literacy counseling from their health care provider are more likely to read to their young children, read to them more often, and provide more books in the home. Children who participate in Reach Out and Read score significantly higher on vocabulary tests and show improved language development -- the single strongest predictor of school success. Since those first Reach Out and Read books were handed out in 1989, Reach Out and Read has grown into a national nonprofit organization with a National Center in Boston and 4,121 ROR Sites, serving more than 3.5 million children ages 6 months to 5 years old, including more than a quarter of America's most impoverished children. Dr. Perri Klass, National Medical Director of Reach Out and Read, who helped expand the program from a single Site to thousands of Programs nationwide, said, “This program has grown so rapidly because of the powerful connection between primary care providers and the families they care for. Reach Out and Read helps parents transform children’s home environments and bedtime routines, and improve their educational odds—all through books and reading aloud.” More than 50,000 pediatricians, family physicians, and nurse practitioners have been trained in the ROR model. One of Reach Out and Read’s greatest strengths, especially during challenging economic times like these, continues to be its cost-effectiveness. The cost of the full, five-year ROR program is just $40 per child. Endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics, Reach Out and Read is the model of a successful public-private partnership, drawing funding support from the U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Department of Defense, 14 state governments, and individuals, corporations, and foundations nationwide. Reach Out and Read’s National Center, 34 Regional Coalitions, and 4,121 Sites plan to celebrate the program’s 20th Anniversary with a yearlong campaign aimed at boosting nationwide awareness of the importance of early literacy. After 20 years, Reach Out and Read’s goal remains the same: that every child grow up with books and a love of reading. Thank you for all you do to support that noble mission.   Return