"I must say that I find television very educational. The minute somebody turns it on, I go to the library and read a book." ~ Groucho Marx
Reach Out and Read, based in Boston City Hospital, is an innovative national literacy program that integrates children's books with pediatric practice.
About the priceless joy of reading, writer Martin Tupper observed, "A good book is the best of friends, the same today and forever."
With a special emphasis on children growing up in poverty, every child receives a book at each checkup, starting at six months and continuing until the age of five. With this family-centered program, children will have at least 10 books at home before starting kindergarten.
"Anyone who has a library and a garden wants for nothing." said Roman philosopher Marcus Cicero.
Homes need books because books represent possibilities and magic. ROR encourages parents to make reading part of every day. Experts agree that parents who read aloud increase their children's language skills and cognitive development. The parent-child bond is strengthened. Children learn to love books and start school better, ready to learn.
As California Senator S. I. Hayakawa once explained, "In a very real sense, people who have read good literature have lived more than people who cannot or will not read."
ROR was established in 1989. By 2007, the organization had served 2.8 million children and distributed over 4.6 million books annually. "There is more treasure in books," said creative wizard Walt Disney, "than in all the pirate's loot on Treasure Island."
Reading is a daring adventure into new worlds.