Reach Out and Read

I once read somewhere that it's never too early--or too late--to start reading aloud to a child. I have read many books that emphasize how important early literacy experiences are for children and their future intellectual development. Children need to be read to and exposed to books from infancy to have proper verbal stimulation. However, this does not happen for many children.

Reach Out and Read is a fantastic nonprofit that has found an innovative strategy to address this issue. They equip pediatric doctors and nurses to talk to parents about the importance of reading aloud to their children during check-ups. They provide children (ages 6 months to 5 years) with a new book to take home from their doctor's visits. It's wonderfully simple, and very effective. Visit their website to look at some of the statistics and information about their success.

I am always so encouraged by the wonderful work so many different organizations are doing in the world of literacy. I hope to highlight many of them in the coming weeks. Are there some organizations I should know about? Please share!