At Reach Out and Read, we believe all families should have the tools and information they need to make reading aloud a daily routine. We help integrate reading into pediatric practices, advise families about the importance of reading with their children, and share books that serve as a catalyst for healthy childhood development.
Reach Out and Read gives young children a foundation for success by incorporating books into pediatric care and encouraging families to read aloud together.
OUR STORY
Since 1996, Marsha Raulerson, MD, FAAP, introduced the Reach Out and Read program to Alabama. In 2006, she worked with the Alabama Chapter-American Academy of Pediatrics to establish a coalition that birthed Reach Out and Read-Alabama. Dr. Raulerson continues to support our program by serving as our Medical Director.
Since our beginning, over 400 medical providers in 59 practices and clinics (currently) have prescribed more than 1.8 million brand new books to Alabama’s youngest and neediest children. A book is a powerful tool. In the hands of a child, it can be a portal to a world of imagination. These books are more than the stories inside...they are the key to unlocking the potential in every child in Alabama, and that is where Reach Out and Read-Alabama steps in.
But even with this success, we still have a long way to go. An average of 53% of Alabama’s children are unable to read proficiently by the fourth grade, and many counties have much higher percentages (Alabama State Department of Education, 2018-2019). The research is clear: if children cannot read proficiently by the end of third grade, they face daunting hurdles to success in school and beyond. Third grade marks a pivot point in reading. In fourth grade, students begin encountering a wider variety of texts. By then, able readers have learned to extract and analyze new information and expand their vocabularies by reading. But struggling readers rarely catch up with their peers academically and are four times more likely to drop out of high school, lowering their earning power as adults and possibly costing society in welfare and other supports. The Annie E. Casey Foundation reported in 2010 that “every student who does not complete high school costs our society an estimated $260,000 in lost earnings, taxes, and productivity.” (Center for Public Education, 2015) Programs such as Reach Out and Read-Alabama are vital to Alabama families. Our pediatric healthcare providers prescribe books to children while talking with parents/caregivers about child development and the impact of reading together often, as well as literacy resources for the entire family. For many children, this may be the only chance for these children and their families to have access to books.
View our Impact Reports here.
