Reach Out and Read, Inc.

The Leyendo Juntos (Reading Together) Initiative assists primary care providers in effectively encouraging Spanish-speaking parents and extended family members to read with their children. Leyendo Juntos follows the model of pediatric guidance, prescribing books, and encouraging parents to read aloud at home, emphasizing respect for patients' cultures and primary language. The initiative builds upon best practices that medical providers at various levels of linguistic proficiency (e.g. native Spanish speakers, near-fluent speakers, and those who speak medically-appropriate Spanish) use to emphasize the importance of early literacy to Spanish-speaking families. Parents understand the critical impact reading together has on their child's development and future school success. Special tools, such as a Spanish Language Literacy Promotion Guide, Spanish-language books and materials, and Reach Out and Read's Spanish-language website, help medical providers better serve Latino/Hispanic families.

The Reach Out and Read American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) Initiative was established in 2007 as a partnership between the Committee on Native American Child Health (CONATCH) of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Indian Health Service (IHS), and Reach Out and Read. Through this initiative, we deliver our proven three-part early literacy program to AI/AN children at Indian Health Service/Tribal/Urban clinics nationwide. We offer culturally-appropriate books as well as books in Native American languages.

In 2006, we launched our Military Families Initiative to deliver our program to children living on U.S. military bases. Military families face unique pressures, including separation, deployment, or even the death of a parent. Reading aloud to children is a proven technique to help them cope with the stress and anxiety that these difficult situations cause. When families read aloud together regularly, children enjoy the stability of a routine while gaining the foundational skills needed to learn to read. Furthermore, we offer a number of books which deal with military themes, including titles like While You Are Away, Kissing Hand, and Home Again.

A generous gift from the Heising-Simons Foundation
of $914,000 in 2018 has funded an innovative enhancement to Reach Out and Read’s award-winning
model: Books Count - Reach Out and Read’s Early Math Initiative. Heising-Simons Foundation’s investment supports a five-state rollout of Books Count over the next two years. In that time, Reach Out and Read will reach 10,000 children, providing them and their families with the tools and guidance to foster crucial foundational math skills before the age of 5; the organization will then be well positioned to bring Books Count to the rest of its
national network, benefiting over 5 million children by 2020. Books Count does not change the core of the Reach Out and Read model, it aims to expand the opportunities for parent-child interaction at the heart of our model by providing new concepts and ways to learn.

According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 1 out of every 6 children in the United States has a developmental disability. This statistic is increasing; in the past four years, there has been a 30% rise in the prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) alone. The rate of developmental disability diagnosis among economically disadvantaged children is higher than the rate for their more affluent peers. The CDC reports that, between 1997 and 2008, the prevalence of developmental disabilities among children insured by Medicaid was nearly double the prevalence for children with private insurance.

Reach Out and Read has always served children with developmental disabilities. However, we are always working to further develop our early literacy model to better meet the learning needs of children facing specific physical and mental challenges. The Developmental Disabilities Initiative was developed for primary care providers who treat infants and children with developmental challenges and provide support, advice, and helpful resources to their families. The Reach Out and Read Developmental Disabilities Initiative currently includes eight types of disabilities/disorders:
• Speech and Language Delay
• Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Motor Delay
• Developmental Delay (including Down syndrome and other intellectual disabilities)
• Hearing Loss
• Vision Loss
• Short Attention Span, High Activity Level, or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
• Learning Style Differences (including dyslexia)

The materials are designed to be used as a point of reference for healthcare providers and families already participating in the Reach Out and Read model of early literacy promotion and parent engagement.