Literacy for Kids: The Read To Me Program

Although reading is the cornerstone of all learning, recent research shows that young people simply are not reading well enough. What's worse, reading failure disproportionately affects children from socially and economically disadvantaged families and contributes to continuing the cycle of poverty.

Since 1993 a group of pediatricians, educators and interested volunteers at Hasbro Children's Hospital has been working together to address this problem. The result is the Read To Me program, an extensive volunteer effort to promote literacy for children who are cared for at Hasbro Children's Hospital. Our research, as well as that of others, has demonstrated that families who participate in these kinds of programs read more with their young children and that one of the benefits for kids is enhanced language development.

The primary goals of the Read To Me program are:

1. to spark children's interest in reading;
2. to increase parents' awareness of the importance of reading aloud to their children; and
3. to provide an opportunity for pediatricians to stress the importance of reading for the overall health and well-being of children.

How the program works

For more information about the Read to Me program call 401-444-8638 or e-mail phigh@lifespan.org.

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