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| Greetings!
We are pleased to bring you the latest news from Reach Out and Read. At the heart of all we do are the children and families whose lives we touch each day. We serve them through public-private partnerships, and we honor the helping hands involved in bringing books and the joy of reading to over 57,000 young children and their families across Washington. Our Reach Out and Read program includes:
- Parents who cuddle and read at the end of a long day
- Doctors and nurses who talk about reading aloud and give children brand new books
- Community partners who connect with Reach Out and Read programs
- Corporations and foundations who support Reach Out and Read programs
- Statewide organizations who promote early learning
- Legislators who have supported national Reach Out and Read since 2000.
Together we deliver a proven program that helps children be healthy and ready for school.
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| DOCTORS MAKING A DIFFERENCE |
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 50 Women Who are Changing the World
Dr. Perri Klass, pediatrician, journalism professor, author and Reach Out and Read National Medical Director, is featured in Woman's Day Magazine, recognized for her work "changing the world by teaching our children to read." Other women featured include Hillary Clinton, Marian Wright Edelman, Melinda Gates, Michelle Obama, and Oprah Winfrey! We are thrilled to see this tribute to Dr. Klass, and appreciate all she has done to help us bring Reach Out and Read to children in Washington, and across the country. In her latest publication, Reach Out and Read at 20 Years: Literacy Promotion in Pediatric Primary Care, Dr. Klass and colleagues examine Reach Out and Read's impact on participating families, and describe Reach Out and Read as a tool to promote school-readiness. Photo courtesy of Dr. Perri Klass, Two Sweaters for My Father South Sound Magazine honors Washington Medical Director 
Dr. Mary Ann Woodruff is a Doctor Making a Difference. We are truly fortunate to have Dr. Woodruff as Reach Out and Read Washington's Medical Director, and are excited to see that the community nominated her for this honor. "My role in Washington state is to introduce Reach Out and Read to other physicians so they can embark on this, too," Dr. Woodruff said. Dr Woodruff and her Pediatrics Northwest colleagues in Tacoma, Gig Harbor and Federal Way have participated in the Reach Out and Read program since 2001. "We will distribute nearly 10,000 books into little hands this year." Thank you, Dr. Woodruff and Pediatrics Northwest. Photo courtesy of South Sound Magazine |
| SEA MAR CLINICS SUPPORT SPANISH SPEAKING FAMILIES |
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Community Health Centers across Western Washington make books part of their mission 
Medical providers from 15 Reach Out and Read programs at Sea Mar Community Health Centers, from Bellingham to Vancouver, Washington distributed 9000 new books last year to families throughout Western Washington. Sea Mar is committed to providing quality, comprehensive health and human services to diverse communities, specializing in service to the Latino community. Managed by Americorps members, Sea Mar's Reach Out and Read program uses an innovative leadership system. At each location, an elected clinic champion serves as program liaison, oversees book distribution, and manages waiting room volunteer readers. When asked how she became interested in Reach Out and Read, Delia Sanchez, Medical Assistant at Sea Mar Vancouver said, "We like sharing reading with our own children as well as the kids we see here, especially since a lot of them don't have the same access to things like other kids do, including brand new books that they get to keep." In the Sea Mar Marysville waiting room, volunteer readers from Everett Community College have contributed over 100 hours in 3 months of service. "The readers are so dynamic, they are transforming the waiting room environment." Thank you Sea Mar providers AND Reach Out and Read champions for encouraging reading aloud as you support nurturing interactions between parents and their children.
Photo courtesy of Reach Out and Read National Center |
| WASHINGTON STATE RELEASES EARLY LEARNING PLAN DRAFT |
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Recommendations include investing in children's health services, and partnerships with parents 
Reach Out and Read joined health providers and the early learning community across Washington state to develop a statewide early learning plan to ensure children in Washington have a strong start in life. The Early Learning Plan draft was delivered to Governor Gregoire Dec. 1, 2009 by the Department of Early Learning, Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, and Thrive by Five Washington. Reach Out and Read supports all 5 Recommendations to the Governor, and 6 of the Prioritized Initiatives. Reach Out and Read is not only a proven early literacy program with demonstrated outcomes, but it is also a "cross-discipline" strategy which plays an integral role in many parts of Washington's evolving early learning system. Reach Out and Read is both a parenting education and an early literacy program within the medical setting.
Photo courtesy of Reach Out and Read National Center |
| UNITED WE SERVE DELIVERS 13,000 BOOKS TO WASHINGTON PROGRAMS |
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Reach Out and Read Washington State and First Book pair up to put new books in the hands of young children
In recognition of the nation's first official September 11 Day of Service and Remembrance, Reach Out and Read Washington State joined with First Book to double the number of books reaching community programs serving at-risk children. This partnership delivered 13,000 books to Reach Out and Read programs in Washington State. "First Book was delighted to partner in this first-of-its-kind collaboration among well-known children's literacy giants to deliver age-appropriate books to local heroes and volunteers serving our most vulnerable children to raise the quality of education these children receive," said Kyle Zimmer, president of First Book. Dr. Liette Witherite, Mid-Columbia Family Health Center in White Salmon wrote, "Thank you so much for the books! You cannot believe how much our patients love this program. Our waiting rooms are full of books and the providers are as excited about it as the patients. It has been a lot of fun." Photo courtesy of Doug Bruns/Images for Change |
| THE BOEING COMPANY AWARDS $25,000 TO REACH OUT AND READ |
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Corporate support for early learning is a vital part of Reach Out and Read Washington State's public-private partnership model. Boeing's leadership has played a key role in our success to date by supporting Reach Out and Read for two years in a row. "The Boeing Company is thrilled to partner with Reach Out and Read to support parents and promote early literacy," said Shyla Miller, Boeing's Community Investor for Early Learning. Reach Out and Read shares Boeing's goal to support parents as the child's first and most important teachers. We are deeply grateful to Boeing for providing Reach Out and Read with a new grant to support our programs, and the children and families they serve.
Photo courtesy of Doug Bruns/Images for Change |
| A NEW CHAPTER FOR REACH OUT AND READ IN EASTERN WASHINGTON |
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Spokane Community supports early literacy
 Reach Out and Read Washington is partnering with Family Resources, part of Community-Minded Enterprises, to get books to children in Eastern Washington. For more then twenty years, the Spokane County non-profit has provided child care referral and early childhood education, partnering with local libraries, and now with Reach Out and Read. "We are thrilled to be working with Reach Out and Read," said Kathy Thamm, Director for Family Resources. "It is such a great program and we think it will really take off in Spokane County and in Eastern Washington." Right now there are two Reach Out and Read sites in Spokane County. Family Resources and Reach Out and Read have one community clinic ready to jump on board, as well as a local hospital. Eventually, Family Resources hopes to expand to outlying counties like Stevens and Whitman.
To ensure success, Family Resources secured a grant from Thrive by Five Washington to help recruit Spokane area doctors who will provide books during office visits. "It's an easy way for parents to learn about the benefits of reading to their children," said Thamm. Watch for Reach Out and Read in Eastern Washington, bringing free books to children who might not otherwise have them. Photo courtesy of Doug Bruns/Images for Change |
| FEDERAL BUDGET SUPPORTS REACH OUT AND READ |
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2011 U.S. Department of Education Appropriation confirmed 
Congress has approved $6 Million in funding for the Reach Out and Read National Center for FY 2011, an increase of more than 20% over FY 2010 federal funding of $4.965 million. This funding comes at a critical time because we are serving more families each year. Federal funding leverages state and private dollars. It enables Reach Out and Read to better serve over 3.8 million children and families, and lays the groundwork to reach millions more in the years to come. Reach Out and Read is not yet a permanently authorized line item in the federal budget (something we are working toward through the Prescribe a Book Act). It's a challenging road, and success is made possible through the leadership, experience, and the expertise of the Washington State delegation who support Reach Out and Read. Thank you to Senator Murray, Senator Cantwell, Congressman McDermott and Congressman Dicks for your support! |
| HELP PUT BOOKS IN THE HANDS OF CHILDREN |
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Support Reach Out and Read while you shop
 You can help doctors put books into children's hands without spending an extra dime! If you do any shopping online via amazon.com, a portion of your purchase can support ROR across Washington state. Simply go to www.reachoutandreadwa.org and click on the amazon.com logo on the left bottom corner of the page to begin your shopping. If you click through and make a purchase, at least 4% will go directly to Reach Out and Read in Washington! This is an ongoing partnership for us, so please take this extra step before shopping at Amazon and share this opportunity with your friends and family.
Please consider also making a direct tax-deductible donation to Reach Out and Read: Donate on Line. Just $5 can help place a beautiful book where it belongs, in a child's home. Photo courtesy of Reach Out and Read National Center | |
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Reach Out and Read is increasingly becoming an integral part of early learning systems across Washington state. Medical providers are supporting parents, and helping make sure children have the services they need to experience optimal health and early learning. These efforts are vital to the future of each child, and to our state. We thank you for your support.
Jill Sells MD, Director
Page Pless, Program Director
Mary Ann Woodruff MD, Medical Director
About Us
Founded in 2007, Reach Out and Read Washington State makes books part of a healthy childhood through support for Reach Out and Read programs across Washington. We are part of the national, evidence-based Reach Out and Read Program, now in its 21st year.
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