Health & Fitness
Sen Stillman Reads to Children as part of Reach Out and Read Program
Healthcare providers at Community Health Center of New London are sending families home from checkups with free books and a very important prescription – “read aloud to your children.” Today, State Senator Andrea Stillman (D-Waterford) visited the health center, not only to cheer them on, but to practice what doctors preach by reading to a group of young patients.
CHC, Inc. participates in Reach Out and Read, a program that prepares America’s youngest children to succeed in school by partnering with doctors to prescribe books and encourage families to read together. Healthcare providers incorporate Reach Out and Read's evidence-based model into regular pediatric checkups, by advising parents about the importance of reading aloud and giving developmentally-appropriate books to children.
“CHC is committed to providing world class primary care services to Connecticut families, regardless of their health insurance status,“ from Dr. Angela Moemeka, a pediatrician at CHC and the Reach Out and Read Medical Champion for CHC. “We now serve families in almost every county in the state. As an organization dedicated to building health communities and the care of low income children and families throughout Connecticut, our mission is well aligned with that of the Reach Out and Read Program. Our team of primary care providers uses every well child visit as an opportunity to discuss early literacy promotion with families. And that anticipatory guidance is enriched by presenting children with books that help to build literacy-rich homes. Our organization is fortunate to be able to interact with so many families throughout the state; spreading the message that reading to children daily is the way to build language skills and a love of learning.”
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Through Reach Out and Read, each child starts kindergarten with a home library of approximately 10 books and a parent who has heard at every well-child visit about the importance of books and reading. The program begins at the 6-month checkup and continues through age 5, with a special emphasis on children growing up in low-income communities.
“The ability to read opens the door to successful learning in every other subject area, including math, science, and even music, so it’s imperative we emphasize reading skills for young students in school readiness programs,” Senator Andrea L. Stillman (D-Waterford), co-chair of the legislature’s Education Committee, said. “Disparities in reading ability also contribute directly to the state’s onerous achievement gap, another reason to encourage and applaud this Reach Out and Read program at New London’s Community Health Center.”
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CHC – New London is one of 3 programs in Senator Stillman’s district that participate in Reach Out and Read, providing books to nearly 500 children and families annually. Since 1972, CHC has been one of the leading healthcare providers in the state of Connecticut, building a world-class primary health care system committed to caring for uninsured and underserved populations. CHC is focused on improving health outcomes for its more than 130,000 patients as well as building healthy communities. Recognized as both a Level 3 Patient-Centered Medical Home by the National Committee for Quality Assurance and a Primary Care Medical Home by The Joint Commission, CHC delivers service in more than 200 locations statewide, offering primary care in medical, dental and behavioral health services. For more information, visit www.chc1.com.
Reach Out and Read provides books to nearly 40,000 children and families across the state annually. Families served by Reach Out and Read read together more often, and their children enter kindergarten with larger vocabularies and stronger language skills, better prepared to achieve their full potential.
“Research shows that if you intervene in the first five years of life and partner with parents, you can dramatically improve the early literacy skills of a child, putting them on the track for success in school and in life,” said Reach Out and Read Executive Director Anne-Marie Fitzgerald. “Childhood development experts tell us that the most important thing that parents can do to prepare their children to succeed in school is to read aloud to them every day."
The Reach Out and Read model is endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the program has one of the strongest records of research support of any primary care intervention. Reach Out and Read is also the 2013 Winner of The Library of Congress David M. Rubenstein Prize for their groundbreaking work advancing literacy.
Nationally, Reach Out and Read doctors and nurses distribute over 6.5 million books to more than 4 million children and their families annually at 5,000 pediatric practices, hospitals, clinics and health centers in all 50 states. More than 12,000 medical providers nationwide currently participate in Reach Out and Read. For more information, visit www.reachoutandread.org