Reach Out and Read - Iowa
by Mary Ann Abrams, MD, Director

Of all parent-child activities, reading aloud provides the richest exposure to language . Reading aloud is not only one of the best activities to stimulate language and cognitive skills; it also builds motivation, curiosity, memory and healthy parent-child relationships. Giving parents the information and the tools – beautiful, appealing children’s books – to make reading aloud a daily activity helps parents nurture their children and prevent them from falling behind.

Reach Out and Read - Iowa now has 30 sites, with a goal of at least 35 by mid 2007. These sites serve nearly 24,000 children and distribute over 36,000 books annually. ROR – Iowa is working to serve nearly 60,000 additional children by supporting establishment of new ROR sites throughout the state, with special emphasis on clinics serving children at higher risk for reading difficulties, such as those growing up in poverty or with limited English proficiency. You can help bring ROR to more Iowa children in several ways: providing funds for book purchase at existing ROR programs in your area; helping local providers who care for children establish a ROR site; and assisting ROR programs with other ROR activities, like gently-used book donations (for siblings and non-well child visits), volunteering to read in the waiting room, or public awareness and fund-raising. Visit the Reach Out and Read website: www.reachoutandread.org.

Research findings from many published studies show Reach Out and Read is effective. Compared to families who have not participated in ROR, parents who have received the ROR intervention are significantly more likely to read to their children and have more children’s books in the home, and children served by the ROR program show increases in expressive and receptive language assessment. More ...

To learn more, contact Dr. Mary Ann Abrams at 515-241-3458 or abramsm@mchsi.com,