Reach Out and Read: Literacy Prescription for a Lifetime

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Date

2015-05-06

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Ohio State University. Office of Outreach and Engagement

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Abstract

By age 3, children from lower income families have 3 million fewer words than their more affluent peers. These early literacy deficits are fiercely detrimental to health and wellness, especially in Appalachia. In Athens County 31% of children live below the poverty level and 9% of adults lack functional prose literacy skills. This program includes prescribing new, age-appropriate books to all children at well-child visits, emphasizing the importance of reading at home, engaging with patients in the waiting room, volunteer readers demonstrating read-aloud behaviors to parents and creating a literacy-rich waiting room, focused on promoting wellness-based pediatrics.

Description

IMPACT. 1: Prescribed over 2,200 new books to pediatric patients -- 2. Engaged parents in proactive family healthcare -- 3. Supported over 150 hours of vulteer reading by medical students. Created donations and grant parternships with community organizations
OSU PARTNERS: Reach Out and Read at University Medical Associates Pediatrics serves the children and families of Athens and surrounding counties.
COMMUNITY PARTNERS: Books sponsors: OUHCOM Area Health Education Center; OU Stevens Literacy Center; OhioHealth O'Bleness Hospital
PRIMARY CONTACT: Anne Flower

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Citation

Engaged Scholars, v. 3 (2015).