"This work, our work, is a nice thing to do, but it is much more than that. Indeed, helping children to succeed in school and in life is work that speaks to the very future of community and country. It is a practical imperative as well as moral."

-Dave Lawrence, The Children's Movement of Florida

Dave Lawrence was a keynote speaker at this month's Starting Strong conference (story below); and as always he was an engaging opener. I first heard Dave speak about 10 years ago to a national pediatric meeting, and every time I hear him I feel re-energized that the work we are doing is on the right path. I often struggle when people ask me "what I do." It seems impossible to convey either the content or the import of what we do easily. And occasionally people will say something like "Well, isn't that nice that you do that." Somehow talking about little children and books "sounds nice" but doesn't convey the very real sense of urgency and import that drives the work that we do at Reach Out and Read each day. We know that fundamentally changing what we do for young children and families in this country is absolutely vital to our nation's future. This is, in fact, very serious business.

So as we think about what Dave had to say, we also recognize that fall is a time of transition, especially for children who are starting school for the first time. Children who will enter kindergarten "ready for school" may be filled with nervous excitement this week. Their transitions ahead will not all be easy, but they will gradually learn what school is about, and continue to be excited about all they will learn and do. Children who are less prepared may be scared, or may have no expectations at all about what will happen when they enter the elementary school door. Unfortunately, that means there is a good chance they will discover that other children seem to know more than they do. They will see peers who are comfortable interacting with other children and the teacher; who are able to sit quietly for short periods of time when the teacher expects them to; who know how to hold a pencil and a book; and who might even be able to write their name. A child who is unfamiliar with many of these things may quickly feel intimidated, out of place, and unsure they belong. And if this happens, there's a good chance the kindergarten year will not be the exciting adventure it can and should be. It is likely that those who start out behind will not catch up with their classmates, and later in 3rd grade they will be much less likely to read proficiently. If they enter 4th grade without this skill, the remaining primary years will be much harder because they will be expected to shift from "learning to read" to "reading to learn." Kids who struggle at this transition often keep struggling. Far too many will get discouraged, and many will ultimately fail to graduate from high school.

So is all lost then by age 5? Of course not, but it is less expensive and easier on everyone--children, families, teachers, schools, communities--if children arrive at kindergarten ready. Research clearly demonstrates how important learning is in the first years of life. If we support children and families so that children arrive at kindergarten ready, child outcomes will be much better; in education, health and life. Opportunities to put kids on a healthy trajectory start in infancy--not at age 5 or age 3. Differences are measurable in children's cognitive skills as early as 9 months of age! The answers lie in supporting parents, so they can better support their kids' development. Teachers know from research and experience that the engagement of parents in their child's education is a huge predictor of how well a child will do. So if we know that education starts way before kindergarten, before preschool, before child care--that it starts with babies at home with their families--it follows that parent engagement in education must start then too! And that is what Reach Out and Read is all about: doctors partnering with families from the moment they welcome babies into their lives, providing advice, support, books and encouragement to read at home. It's simple, and it works. It works to change lives, and to create opportunities for all kids to be on track toward the joy of lifelong learning. It helps instill confidence for both parent and child that the transition to kindergarten, when it arrives, will be a welcome, exciting adventure.

Please read on to learn more about our activities, and the many ways you can get involved:

• On TV, with King5 and New Day Northwest
• Through P-3 partnerships, like we presented at
  Starting Strong
• By partnering with us in South Seattle/King County
• By getting involved in ways that work for you:
  Support, Encourage, Advocate

Reach Out and Read helps prepare children to succeed in school
by partnering with doctors to prescribe books and encourage families to read together.  Our evidence-based, proven program leverages the volunteer time of doctors to make literacy a standard part of well-child visits. Reach Out and Read supports parents as their child's first teacher. Through 134 programs in 29 counties, almost 900 medical providers serve an estimated 83,000 children and families.