Northshore Conifer posted on May 06, 2010 07:38
Ochsner celebrated the kick-off of its literacy program Reach Out and Read on Friday, April 30, 2010, at Ochsner Health Center- Covington, with special guest reader Curt Sprang from WGNO in New Orleans. Through Reach Out and Read, Ochsner pediatricians are encouraging parents to read aloud to infants, toddlers and pre-schoolers in order to promote overall development and help identify communication delays early on. Since pediatricians often use literacy as a judge of overall cognitive development and behavioral health, Ochsner will distribute new, age appropriate books during pediatric well child check-ups. During these appointments, parents will be encouraged to read aloud to their child every day.
Reach Out and Read is a national, non-profit organization based in Boston that promotes early literacy by giving new books to children and advice to parents about the importance of reading aloud. Nationally, this year physicians will give out five million new books to three million families in the U.S through Reach Out and Read (www.reachoutandread.org.)