Reach Out

The Problem: One-Third of Children Enter School Unprepared to Learn.  Helping with a solution is an organization called Reach Out and Read, http://www.reachoutandread.org.  On their website they state that the clear solution is for all adults to speak and read to young children as an everyday nurturing activity. Research shows that words heard on television and radio programs do not
have the same impact as live, spoken conversation. The reason is simple: children want to learn language in order to communicate with the people who mean the most to them: their parents. Of all parent-child activities, reading aloud provides the richest exposure to language. Unfortunately, fewer than half of young American children are read to daily.  Reading aloud is not only one of the best activities to stimulate language and cognitive skills; it also builds motivation, curiosity, and
memory.

The Literacy Alliance is helping with the solution by providing storytime programs for preschoolers through the Boys Town Storytelling Troupe and our awesome storytelling volunteers in Head Start facilities, VPKs and the Orlando Homeless Shelter.  By modeling good reading aloud practices and providing quality books to teachers and parents, we excite their interest in reading as a daily classroom or family activity.  It certainly makes sense to reach out and read.