Reach Out and Read

Getting books from the doctor is now a routine part of regular pediatric checkups at Yogman Pediatrics, as doctors welcome the Reach Out and Read program to the practice.  Yogman Pediatrics joins more than 5,000 program sites nationwide that are preparing America’s youngest children to succeed in school.

Doctors, nurse practitioners, and other medical professionals 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. They are essentially providing families with “prescriptions to read.”

Reach Out and Read begins at the 6-month checkup and continues through age 5, with a special emphasis on children growing up in low-income communities. 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 potential.

Yogman Pediatrics also supports the joy of discovery and the power of play in all children. We are now adding to the Reach Out and Read program by writing a prescription for play at all check ups during the first two years of life. We would like to encourage all parents to find time to play with their children every day and talk to them about what they are exploring even with common household objects like wooden spoons or leftover containers.

For more information about Reach Out and Read you can visit  www.reachoutandread.org.