Charity Giving Books to Woodbridge Pediatrics

At Woodbridge Pediatrics, getting books from the doctor is a routine part of regular pediatric checkups. Doctors and nurses have been implementing the Reach Out and Read program in Woodbridge since 2009. We are pleased to announce that Balint Charities, a local Springfield based non-profit organization, has decided to “adopt” Woodbridge Pediatrics and will be providing the clinic with new and gently used books. We are very excited for this new partnership and how it will continue to promote early childhood literacy in the region.

Reach Out and Read Virginia is an evidence-based, statewide nonprofit organization that prepares Virginia’s youngest children to succeed in school by partnering with doctors to prescribe books and encourage families to read together. The end goal of Reach Out and Read is to prepare all children to enter kindergarten ready to read, learn, and succeed. The Reach Out and Read model is endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the program has one of the strongest records of research support of any primary care intervention. This year, Reach Out and Read Virginia’s volunteer medical providers will distribute over 205,000 new books to more than 118,000 children at 155 healthcare locations across the state.

Doctors, nurse practitioners, and other medical professionals incorporate Reach Out and Read’s evidence-based model into regular pediatric checkups, by advising parents about the importance of reading aloud and giving developmentally-appropriate books to children.

The program begins at the 6-month checkup and continues through age 5, with a special emphasis on children growing up in low-income communities. Families served by Reach Out and Read read together more often, and their children enter kindergarten with larger vocabularies and stronger language skills, better prepared to achieve their potential.

For more information, please call (804) 521-0425 or visit the Reach Out and Read Virginia website at www.rorva.org. Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/rorvirginia and follow us on Twitter @rorvirginia.