“When I read to my five-year-old son, we both feel the bond it creates. Does he know more words and letters because we’re reading together? Sure. Is he confident that things sound a certain way? Sure. But when he’s sitting on my lap and we’re reading aloud, we’re also developing an emotional connection.”
— Marty Martinez, Former CEO, Reach Out and Read
Reach Out and Read New Jersey partners with pediatric clinicians to distribute books during well-child visits as a way to encourage families to read aloud together. Growing scientific evidence shows the significant impact that positive, language-rich parent-child interactions have on building the foundation for health, academic, social, and economic success later in life.
The national model — endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics and Vanderbilt University’s Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center and supported by a robust evidence base — shows shared reading results in faster language development and acquisition and provides an opportunity for families to build powerful, lasting bonds. Reach Out and Read’s high impact, cost-effective model increases developmental screening rates, well-child visit compliance, and patient and provider satisfaction.
2.5
Parents in participating families are 2.5 times more likely to have books in the home and to read with their babies and toddlers.
100+
Reach Out and Read New Jersey partners with more than 100 pediatric clinics, focusing on underserved communities.
15%
Percent of children age five and under in New Jersey reached by this initiative — about 80,000 children.
With around 90% of children attending a well-child check-up annually, Reach Out and Read enables primary care providers to offer a unique pathway to inform and support parents and children during critical developmental years.
The Burke Foundation partners with Reach Out and Read New Jersey to bring this groundbreaking model to more young children and their families across the state, with a special focus on those served by community health centers.
