(l-r) Brian Gallagher, Reach Out and Read Executive Director; Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton; Greg Worrell, President of Scholastic's Classroom and Library Group; and Fan Tait, MD, FAAP, Associate Executive Director of AAP and Director, Department of Community and Specialty Pediatrics.

At the fourth annual Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) America meeting in Denver, Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced a new collaborative effort of Too Small to Fail, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), Scholastic Inc.

• Too Small to Fail and the AAP-an organization representing 62,000 pediatricians-will share messages across their networks and media platforms about the importance of talking, reading aloud and singing to children from birth in order to build vocabulary and promote healthy brain development.
• To jump start the partnership,  Scholastic has donated 500,000 new, age-appropriate children's books for distribution through Reach Out and Read, the non-profit organization that works with 20,000 medical providers nationwide to promote early reading and give books to families at pediatric visits.
• Reach Out and Read will also distribute a toolkit to be developed by the AAP, with support from Too Small to Fail, which will equip pediatricians with resources to educate parents on how to use everyday activities to improve communication with their infants and toddlers. 

The AAP's policy statement is a true validation of the work we are doing at Reach Out and Read to encourage families to read together and develop critical early literacy skills in children before they enter pre-school and kindergarten.  Read more about the AAP policy recommendation and CGI collaborative at:

• New York Times
• Huffington Post
• American Academy of Pediatrics Policy Statement: A Literacy Promotion: A An Essential Component of Primary Care Pediatric Practice
• PBS News Hour
• Reach Out and Read Press Release

Above: Dr. Leora Mogilner, a pediatrician at Mount Sinai Hospital, gave a book to Kaylee Smith, 9 months, and guidance to her mother, Tameka Griffiths, 33. Credit Ruth Fremson/The New York Times

BJ's Charitable Foundation Awards $12,500 Grant 

Reach Out and Read Connecticut was awarded a grant in the amount of $12,500 from BJ's Charitable Foundation in April.  "Established with the goal of creating a positive, long-lasting impact on the communities BJ's serves, the mission of BJ's Charitable Foundation is to enhance and enrich community programs that primarily benefit children and families. Since its inception in 2005, BJ's Charitable Foundation has given nearly $19 million to over 2,100 community organizations in the 15 states where BJ's Clubs are located."

This foundation is a new supporter for Reach Out and Read Connecticut.  Their very generous grant will go towards the purchase of thousands of new books for our Reach Out and Read programs across the state.  We are thrilled to start this new partnership with BJ's Charitable Foundation!

Looking for a list of fun books for kids this summer? Click here to see some great suggestions. 

 Dr. Linda Mathew

Katie Ahearn, Director of Institutional Advancement, and Christine Garber, Connecticut Executive Director, were thrilled to participate in Early Childhood Advocacy Day at the State Capitol on March 19 on behalf of Reach Out and Read.  The Connecticut Early Childhood Alliance and Connecticut Parent Power hosted the annual event, themed "Early Experiences Matter."  The day began with community speakers and state legislators discussing the importance of investing in our young children early and often to provide them and their families with the opportunities and resources they need.  Dr. Linda Mathew, Reach Out and Read Medical Champion at Alliance Medical Group in Middlebury, presented during the morning program; she stressed that, " it's these early experiences that shape and develop the young brain.  We want these experiences to be positive experiences so that our children have a strong foundation and their brain develops optimally. "

After the program we, along with dozens of other early childhood supporters, headed over to the Legislative Office Building to meet with many state legislators.  We encourage you to follow up on our efforts by talking to your own local legislators about the importance of early childhood programs.  Investing in our young children is critical; they are our future!

We invite you to make it an annual tradition and join us next year at the Capitol for Early Childhood Advocacy Day!

New Partnerships

In May, the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) established a new alliance with Reach Out and Read; we are thrilled to have the AAFP as a literacy partner! In many areas, family practitioners are the only medical providers available for children and families. Family physicians are able to emphasize the importance of early literacy and reading to the entire family. To read more about our new partnership with the AAFP, click here.

Another exciting partnership has started as Reach Out and Read begins working with the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA). Reach Out and Read Massachusetts Medical Director, Dr. Marilyn Augustyn, presented at the AAPA conference in Boston. At the conference, the AAPA hosted a book drive for Reach Out and Read, encouraging attendees to donate new books to their local Reach Out and Read program.

Each of these new partnerships offer so much potential to reach even more children. We look forward to working with them! 

US News & World Report: Early Childhood Poverty Damages Brain Development, Study Finds

According to new research from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, there appears to be a relation between smaller brain volumes and poverty. Researchers, led by Joan Luby, analyzed the brain scans of 145 children between the ages of 6 and 12. According to US News and World Report, the researchers found that poverty appears to alter the physical makeup of a child's brain; those children who were exposed to poverty at an early age had smaller volumes of white and cortical gray matter.

Charles Nelson of the Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School wrote an editorial on the study, arguing that although some of the data from the study may be skewed by other influences, the findings support the idea that intervention strategies targeting high-risk families should start as early as birth. Given the high number of children living in poverty, it is more important than ever to get caregivers involved in early intervention and support.

Click here  to read the full article in US News and World Report.