First 5 San Bernardino and American Academy of Pediatrics, California Chapter 2 held an informational dinner on Nov. 5 for local pediatricians interested in bringing Reach Out and Read to pediatric care waiting rooms.
Reach Out & Read® is a national program that distributes books through pediatricians to connect reading as a vital practice for quality early childhood development. While in the waiting room, volunteer readers or parents themselves are provided books to read to their children, increasing the child’s interaction and exposure to words. Parents of children ages 5 and under will able to take prescribed books home to build their child’s library and early literacy capacity.
About 35 guests attended the dinner and many in the pediatric community were already familiar with the program and excited to implement it into their practices. An additional dinner targeting the High Desert region will be forthcoming.
For more information on this initiative in San Bernardino County, visit http://bit.ly/roarsanbernardino or call (909) 386-7706. For information on the national program, visit www.reachoutandread.org.