Reach Out and Read Hands Out 1.5 Million Books in 80 Days

    BOSTON, MA, September 13, 2011 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Impacting the lives of children across the nation, Reach Out and Read pediatricians distributed nearly 1.5 million free books during the summer of 2011.

Recognized by the New York Times and MSNBC, Reach Out and Read is an early literacy initiative that prepares America's youngest children to succeed in school by partnering with doctors to prescribe books and encourage families to read together.

Over an 80 day period, 28,000 pediatricians and medical providers handed out an average of 25,600 books per day - - giving out more books per day than the crowd capacity at Madison Square Garden.

Reach Out and Read's long term goal is to ensure every child in America enters kindergarten ready to learn.

"Research shows that if you intervene in the first five years of life and partner with parents, you can dramatically improve the early literacy skills of a child, putting them on the track for success in school and life," said former Obama advisor and Reach Out and Read CEO Earl Martin Phalen. "We are thrilled that our Summer of a Million Books campaign helped bring so many books into the hands of children who need them most."

With investments from corporate giants like Scholastic and Target, Reach Out and Read annually impacts 3.9 million children and families in over 4,688 hospitals and clinics.

The total number of free books distributed by Reach Out and Read, exceeds the 2011 attendance of the Super Bowl and Wimbledon combined.

About Reach Out and Read

Reach Out and Read is an evidence-based nonprofit organization that promotes early literacy and school readiness in pediatric exam rooms nationwide by giving new books to children and advice to parents about the importance of reading aloud.

Reach Out and Read builds on the unique relationship between parents and medical providers to develop critical early reading skills in children, beginning at 6 months of age. The more than 3.9 million families served annually by Reach Out and Read read together more often, and their children enter kindergarten better prepared to succeed, with larger vocabularies, stronger language skills, and a six-month edge over their peers.

Website: http://www.reachoutandread.org

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