Resources

Resources for Families

We’re here for you so that you can be there for them.

Helping your children navigate through the challenges of early childhood as they are being introduced to the world is filled with excitement! And spending time with a loving adult provides exceptional benefits. The simple act of reading aloud together helps create a lasting emotional connection, stimulates a child’s cognitive development, and lays the groundwork for a lifelong love of reading and learning. At a time when youngsters are most in need for one-on-one engagement with a loved one, we want to encourage and grow those opportunities. We’re here for you so you can be there for them. Below you will find a list of our favorite resources to add to your activities at home.

Winter Booklist

Celebrate winter and enjoy all of the magic it brings into our world. Our booklist has many old and new favorites to enjoy with your little one this season.

Resources for Children

Talking to Children about Race
The AAP parenting website, Healthy Children provides trusted advice on how to tackle tough conversations.
Diverse Book Recommendations
Visit our Mirrors and Windows page for a list of children’s literature focusing on race, equity, and inclusion.
In Support
A message from the Reach Out and Read leadership to our community.

Caring for the Care-Giver

Books Help Families Cope with Stress

Reading together should be the most magical, memorable, and enjoyable part of a child’s—and a caregiver’s—day. Snuggle close and look at the book together; act out the voices and the noises in the stories and ask older children to answer questions or retell the story. Reading together will create memories—and impart benefits—that last a lifetime.

Project #ReadTogether

Reach Out and Read hosted a video project, #ReadTogether encouraging family reading time and bonding by asking individuals to film and share videos of themselves reading aloud.

The initiative promoted the critical need for story time because of the effectiveness of reading aloud in making children feel safe, engaged, and supported.

  • General tips
    • Make reading part of every day, even for just a few minutes. Have fun.
    • Talk about the pictures. You do not have to read the book to tell a story.
    • Let your child turn the pages.
    • Show your child the cover page and explain what the story is about.
    • Run your finger along the words as you read them.
    • Silly sounds, especially animal sounds, are fun to make.
    • Choose books about events in your child’s life such as starting preschool, going to the dentist, getting a new pet, or moving to a new home.
    • Make the story come alive. Create voices for the story characters.
    • Ask questions about the story. What do you think will happen next? What is this?
    • Let your child ask questions about the story. Talk about familiar activities and objects.
    • Let your child retell the story.
    • Visit your local library often.
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  • Reading with your baby.
    • Hold your baby on your lap while you read.
    • Babies like board books, pictures of babies, rhymes and songs from the same book over and over, and when you point at pictures—this is how babies learn!
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  • Reading with your 1-year-old.
    • Let your toddler move around while you are reading.
    • Name the pictures—this is how toddlers learn new words.
    • Read labels and signs wherever you go.
    • Toddlers like the same book over and over; a book at bedtime; to choose and hold the book; books about food, trucks, animals, and children; and books with few words.
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  • Reading with your 2-year-old.
    • Read labels and signs wherever you go.
    • Keep different books around the house and let your child choose.
    • Two-year-olds like to help turn the pages, to fill in the words in a story they know, to point and name pictures; to hear the same book over and over, books that are silly; and animal books and animal noises.
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  • Reading with your preschool child.
    • Have your child sit close or on your lap while reading.
    • Ask questions about the story.
    • Let your child tell you stories.
    • Make weekly visits to the children’s room at the library so your child can choose more books.
    • Children like longer books that tell stories; books without words; alphabet and counting books; books about families, friends, and going to school; and a book at bedtime.
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Additional tools

We are always working to develop new tools to support our families. Here are some flyers with useful information.