{"id":435,"date":"2011-07-08T14:36:38","date_gmt":"2011-07-08T21:36:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/betherebedtimestories.wordpress.com\/?p=435"},"modified":"2011-07-08T14:36:38","modified_gmt":"2011-07-08T21:36:38","slug":"an-organization-you-should-know-about-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/read.betherebedtimestories.com\/?p=435","title":{"rendered":"An Organization You Should Know About"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>We are pleased with our new found friendship with Reach-Out-And-Read! Their tireless effort to raise awareness about early literacy has a ripple effect on each and every generation to come. Their website is so comprehensive and includes some very\u00a0novel ways to reach parents of young children in our nation and make literacy more approachable. We were thrilled with an online chat with their CEO, Earl Martin Phalen, who is leading the charge of this important cause that makes a difference in a child’s life.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Working with medical providers is so novel yet makes so much
    \nsense.\u00a0When did Reach out and Read first begin and how did you come up
    \nwith the idea of reaching parents through healthcare channels?<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    The\u00a0Reach Out and Read three-part literacy promotion model<\/strong>\u00a0was developed by pediatricians Robert Needlman and\u00a0Barry Zuckerman along with early childhood educators Jean Nigro, Kathleen MacLean, and Kathleen Fitzgerald-Rice. Together, they introduced the\u00a0first Reach Out and Read Program in 1989<\/strong>\u00a0at Boston City Hospital (now Boston Medical Center).<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/a>

    Earl Martin Phalen, CEO of Reach Out and Read<\/p><\/div>\n

    Parents value the advice they receive from their child’s physician. \u00a0Reach Out and Read is unique because we use a trusted authority figure — in\u00a0the special setting of the medical visit — to promote a child’s learning. \u00a0Not every child attends daycare or preschool,\u00a0so we know that pediatricians have unrivaled access to children under the age\u00a0of 5.<\/p>\n

    In Robert Needlman\u2019s own words, Reach Out and Read as a program is\u00a0universal, personal, early, repeated, and trusted.<\/p>\n

    2. \u00a0<\/strong>Do you find that healthcare providers are open to adding books next to\u00a0the <\/strong>tongue depressors<\/strong> in the exam rooms?<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Absolutely. Our medical providers incorporate the book into each well-child
    \ncheckup and use it to gauge a child\u2019s developmental milestones. A book can help
    \na doctor diagnose anything from autism to a motor skills delay.<\/p>\n

    Our doctors also recognize that reading is a critical part of child\u2019s overall\u00a0well-being. Just as they give advice to parents about the importance of\u00a0seatbelts and proper nutrition, they offer advice on the importance of reading\u00a0aloud.<\/p>\n

    Reach Out and Read National Medical Director Perri Klass has said time\u00a0and again that the program has transformed the way she does pediatric care —that\u00a0the book has become just as important a tool for her as the\u00a0stethoscope.<\/p>\n

    3. \u00a0<\/strong>What is something that you\u00a0urge parents to do with their child beyond reading aloud to them each night?<\/strong><\/p>\n

    We know that reading\u00a0aloud to young children is the single most effective thing parents can do to\u00a0help prepare their children to succeed in school. We also recognize that it’s\u00a0not always easy to engage children for extended periods of time, so even just\u00a0looking at the pictures and making up stories together is beneficial. The key\u00a0is to make reading fun! Our school readiness experts offer some great reading\u00a0tips\u00a0here.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

    In addition to reading, parents\u00a0should also sing to their children, play with their children, and spend time\u00a0talking with their children. \u00a0Early language skills, the foundation for
    \nreading ability and school readiness, are based primarily on language exposure
    \n— resulting from parents and other adults talking to young children.<\/p>\n

    4. \u00a0<\/strong>What are some of the ways\u00a0that technology can supplement existing literacy building activities?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Smart\u00a0technology can help us spread the importance of literacy \u2013 and provide parents
    \nand caregivers with easy access to tips and reference materials to assist their\u00a0own children.<\/p>\n

    For example,\u00a0our Reach Out and Read website is filled with easily-accessible book lists,\u00a0reading tips, and research on the importance of reading aloud. Facebook and\u00a0Twitter allow us to connect with our supporters \u2013 and the general public \u2013\u00a0daily to provide the latest early literacy news and updates.<\/p>\n

    We are also\u00a0looking into developing texting platforms to provide literacy tips to parents,
    \nand QR codes on posters that parents can scan with their phones to access our information.<\/p>\n

    Webcams and\u00a0Skype are fantastic ways to allow parents and children who are separated the\u00a0chance to connect, and bond over stories and conversation.<\/p>\n

    5. \u00a0<\/strong>Tell us a bit about your current promotion to encourage Summer Reading
    \nwith Summer of a Million Books – umm, that’s a ton of books!<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Reach Out and Read has once again set the goal of\u00a0putting one million brand-new books in the hands of American children this\u00a0Summer.<\/p>\n

    That means that\u00a0every day<\/strong>\u00a0between June 21 and September 8, Reach\u00a0Out and Read’s participating pediatricians will need to distribute 25,600 books\u00a0to the children we serve.<\/p>\n

    If we succeed, we will provide one million more\u00a0families with the tools and the guidance they need to prepare their children to\u00a0succeed in school. But we cannot accomplish this goal without widespread\u00a0support.<\/p>\n

    We encourage everyone to get involved in our \u201cSummer of a Million Books.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

    6. \u00a0<\/strong>I find your website very engaging. Do you get a lot of volunteers to\u00a0participate via your website?\u00a0 <\/strong>What are some of the volunteer opportunities out there for the public?<\/strong><\/p>\n

    We do! When people learn about the effectiveness of our program, they\u00a0are eager to get involved.<\/p>\n

    There are dozens of ways that people can support\u00a0Reach Out and Read’s mission today and help ensure that every child arrives at\u00a0kindergarten ready to read, ready to learn, and ready to succeed.<\/p>\n

    The single most important thing people can do is\u00a0to read to the children in their lives every day. It’s the most effective\u00a0strategy for developing critical early reading skills in children and promoting\u00a0school readiness.<\/p>\n

    We strongly encourage people to donate their time\u00a0to Reach Out and Read — either by organizing book drives in their communities,\u00a0volunteering in our literacy-rich waiting rooms, or participating in any of our\u00a0several events nationwide.<\/p>\n

    There are also several ways people can contribute\u00a0monetarily to Reach Out and Read, such as sponsoring a child in our program or\u00a0dedicating their wedding or special occasion to us.<\/p>\n

    Anyone interested in learning more about Reach\u00a0Out and Read volunteer opportunities should click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    \u00a0<\/strong>7. \u00a0<\/strong>I also see that Reach Out\u00a0and Read is listed on the Joining Forces pledge to support Military Families,\u00a0initiated by First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden. How did you manage to spread your\u00a0message from pediatric exam rooms to U.S. Military bases?<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Reading aloud to children is a proven technique\u00a0to help them cope with stress and anxiety, whether it is because of natural\u00a0disaster, separation from a parent, or another difficult situation. Because of\u00a0the unique pressures on military families, including separation, deployment,\u00a0injury, or even the death of a parent, Reach Out and Read launched an\u00a0initiative in 2006 to deliver our model to military children nationwide.<\/p>\n

    Given the countless sacrifices that members of\u00a0our Armed Services and their families make for our country, they deserve\u00a0nothing but the best – including quality health care and proven school\u00a0readiness strategies. With early support from the Department of Defense, Reach\u00a0Out and Read began implementing its literacy program at targeted U.S. military\u00a0healthcare facilities, laying the foundation for one day serving all military\u00a0families with young children.<\/p>\n

    Currently, we serve 90,000 children and families\u00a0on 48 U.S. bases nationwide. In April,\u00a0First\u00a0Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden launched Joining Forces, a national\u00a0initiative to support and honor America\u2019s service members and their\u00a0families.\u00a0 In support of Joining Forces, Reach Out and Read will expand to\u00a0100 U.S. bases by 2013, serving more than 200,000 children of military\u00a0families.<\/p>\n

    ———<\/p>\n

    We’d like to thank Earl Martin Phalen for taking the time to talk with us today.\u00a0 Such an inspiration! \u00a0Just one of the many bright, shining faces behind Reach Out and Read. \u00a0If you want to find out more about Reach Out and Read I\u00a0would highly recommend their website. It is packed with useful information and\u00a0even opportunities to join the effort to promote school readiness in young\u00a0children nationwide. Rally the parents in your community and\/or school to keep\u00a0this organization on your radar!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    We are pleased with our new found friendship with Reach-Out-And-Read! Their tireless effort to raise awareness about early literacy has a ripple effect on each and every generation to come. Their website is so comprehensive and includes some very\u00a0novel ways to reach parents of young children in our nation and make literacy more approachable. We […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[62,131,67],"tags":[118,75,132,133,134],"class_list":["post-435","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general","category-literacy-friends","category-tips-for-reading","tag-childrens-literacy","tag-early-literacy","tag-reach-out-and-read","tag-read-aloud","tag-reading-assessment"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/read.betherebedtimestories.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/435"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/read.betherebedtimestories.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/read.betherebedtimestories.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/read.betherebedtimestories.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/read.betherebedtimestories.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=435"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/read.betherebedtimestories.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/435\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/read.betherebedtimestories.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=435"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/read.betherebedtimestories.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=435"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/read.betherebedtimestories.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=435"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}