Reach Out and Read

Reach Out and Read is a national program to make literacy promotion a part of regular pediatric checkups. When children, between the ages of 6 months and 5 years old, come for their well-child visits, parents hear directly from their child’s primary care provider about the importance of reading aloud, learn about age-appropriate tips and encouragement, and all children get a new book to take home and keep. In addition, the waiting room often utilizes volunteers to conduct read-alouds that both entertain children and model good practices for parents. Research has shown that families served by the program read together more often and children have larger vocabularies and stronger language skills.

There are several existing Reach Out and Read sites in Berks County, including All about Children, the Berks Community Health Center and Reading Health Children's Health Center. Our goal is to expand the program so that all parents and children in Berks County can benefit from this award winning program.