Getting books from the doctor is now a part of well-child visits at two local Oak Orchard Community Health Centers. The centers at 301 West Avenue in Albion and 300 West Avenue in Brockport have just completed provider training for the service. They joined clinics across the country which use the Reach Out and Read program to make books part of a healthy childhood. The Reach Out and Read program targets children growing up in their early reading years. It features three key elements: Volunteers read with children in pediatric clinic waiting areas; pediatricians educate parents about the importance of reading with their children every day; every child from the age of six months to five years receives a new book to take home and keep when they come in for a well-child check-up. For more than a decade, studies have indicated that parents who get books and literacy counseling from their doctors and nurses are more likely to read to their young children, read to them more often and provide more books in the home. In addition, several studies also have shown improvements in the language scores of young children receiving Reach Out and Read. "The children and their parents love receiving the book and we love giving them," said Dr. Jim Goetz, medical director of the Oak Orchard Community Health Center in Brockport. "It's great to see the surprise and delight in the eyes of the children when we give them a new book to take home." For information about Reach Out and Read at either center, contact Barbara Blosenhauer, Health Educator at (585) 637-3905 extension 257. Additional information is available at the Reach Out and Read web site: www.reachoutandread.org. February 12, 2006 |
