Reach Out and Read has been awarded a $1,000 grant by the Rotary Club of Middletown in support of its programs in Middletown, CT. The grant will help to provide new, developmentally-appropriate books and early literacy guidance during regular pediatric checkups to the 400 children and families served by Reach Out and Read in Middletown.
“We are so incredibly grateful to the Rotary Club of Middletown for helping to support our critical early literacy intervention to the children and families who need us most in Middletown,” said Reach Out and Read Connecticut Executive Director Christine Garber. “We know that the first five years of life offer a key window for learning, with rapid brain development that does not occur at any other time. Every interaction a child has – from smiles and laughs, to bedtime stories – forms the foundation on which the rest of life sits. By incorporating reading into daily routines, parents – using tools from Reach Out and Read’s medical providers -- have the power to shape life and educational outcomes for their children from the start.”
Reach Out and Read’s model includes providing a new, age-appropriate book for each child to take home at every checkup from 6 months through 5 years. Along with the free book for every child, doctors and nurses offer guidance to parents about the importance of reading aloud with their children every day.
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Currently, Reach Out and Read serves over 40,000 children in Connecticut, of which 400 are in Middleton.
Nationwide, Reach Out and Read doctors and nurses serve 4 million children and their families annually at 5,000 pediatric practices, hospitals, clinics, and health centers in all 50 states, with a focus on centers that serve low-income communities.
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Reach Out and Read is a proven intervention, supported by 15 independent, published research studies. During the preschool years, children served by Reach Out and Read score three to six months ahead of their non-Reach Out and Read peers on vocabulary tests, preparing them to start school on target.
In September, Reach Out and Read was named the 2013 recipient of The Library of Congress David M. Rubenstein Prize for the organization’s groundbreaking work advancing literacy. To learn more about Reach Out and Read, please visit www.reachoutandred.org.
The Middletown Rotary Club is a member club of Rotary International. Rotary International is an organization of business and professional leaders united worldwide who provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace in the world. In 166 countries worldwide, approximately 1.2 million Rotarians belong to more than 31,000 Rotary clubs.
The main objective of Middletown Rotary is service - in the community, in the workplace, and throughout the world. Rotarians develop community service projects that address many of today's most critical issues, such as illiteracy, children at risk, poverty and hunger, the environment, and violence. They also support programs for youth, educational opportunities and international exchanges for students, teachers, and other professionals, and vocational and career development. The Rotary motto is Service Above Self. http://www.middletownrotary.org/
For more information on Reach Out and Read, please contact Christine Garber at christine.garber@reachoutandread.org or visit our Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/reachoutandreadct
