Thank you for your interest in volunteering with Reach Out and Read! Anyone can be a volunteer, although Reach Out and Read volunteers are typically adults or older teenagers from the surrounding community with a desire to spend time reading to young children. New volunteers are typically required to go through a screening check by the clinic or hospital. You don't have to volunteer every week, but it is most helpful if you set up a schedule with the clinic including regular hours. Many volunteers do come once per week, but you can make arrangements with your Reach Out and Read Program to volunteer as frequently as your schedule permits.

As a volunteer reader in the waiting room, your role is to provide a positive reading experience for the children, and to model reading aloud for parents. Some parents may have never seen good reading aloud techniques themselves. You may find yourself reading to one child or to a group of children, depending on how busy the clinic is at the time.

Not all Reach Out and Read waiting rooms have had readers before, so the experience may be new for everyone involved. Volunteering in a clinic waiting room is a special task. Remembering that some children you will see have never been read to at home can help to keep your experience in perspective, particularly when dealing with children who are reluctant, rowdy, or restless.

For more information on volunteering with Reach Out and Read, as well as additional tips and techniques, please take a look at our brochure, "Volunteering for Reach Out and Read."