Joshua Rhodes from Great.com interviewed Reach Out and Read NYC as part of their ‘Great.com Talks With…’ podcast. This series is an antidote to negative news stories that aims to shed light on organizations and experts whose work is making a positive impact on the world.
Many of us are not aware that an ability to read and a familiarity with books in elementary school is one of the most important life outcome predictors. The younger a child shows an interest in books, the more likely they are to become well-educated, successful adults. Kristen Rocha Aldrich discussed the importance of helping underprivileged children discover reading.
Whole Family And Community Support
Between birth and the age of five, a child has around 15 health checkups. Reach Out and Read NYC provides children with books during these checkups to help kickstart a family’s relationship with reading.
Reach Out and Read NYC trains pediatricians and other pediatric providers in early childhood development as well as early literacy best practices. Trained staff can assess the child’s development by how they interact with the book, while also encouraging parents and their kids to read together.
Kristen explained that her approach spans two generations – the caregiver and child. Many parents are not used to the idea of reading to their child and don’t know how to access books for them to enjoy. That’s why Reach Out and Read encourages the parent to discuss their child’s development while providing community-based support. We partner with several other non-profits as well as New York Public Library to provide a plentiful supply of books.
Listen to the whole interview to find out about the magic of picture books and the power of language-agnostic visual engagement. Reach Out And Read NYC also welcomes donations.
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