ECED Students Engaged in Reach Out and Read

              Students in ETSU’s early childhood program volunteered last fall as readers in the ETSU Pediatrics well-child waiting room as part of the Reach Out and Read (ROR) program.  In this setting, students modeled dialogic reading strategies (which they studied, discussed, and role-played in class) for parents and encouraged parents to read to their children at home.  Talking with parents who may not value reading is a new experience for many of our students.  The experience of reading in the waiting room and interacting with parents who may not value reading seems to motivate students to want to learn more about parent training and early literacy research. 

              Reach Out and Read (ROR) is a national non-profit organization that partners with staffs in pediatric exam and waiting rooms nationwide to encourage early literacy and school readiness by giving new books to children and providing advice to parents about the importance of sharing a book with their child on a regular basis. Research shows that ROR improves the home literacy environment and developmental outcomes for children growing up in poverty.  When families participate in an ROR program, parents are four times more likely to read to their children, and children show a six-month development gain in language and literacy by the age of three and score higher on vocabulary tests and school readiness assessments.

              The Reach Out and Read coordinator for ETSU Pediatrics is Dr. Kim Hale, assistant Professor, Department of Human Development and Learning.  Her responsibilities include securing funding to purchase new books for distribution to patients and their families, educating physicians and residents about the importance of early literacy and shared book reading, finding gently-used children’s books for the waiting room, and maintaining records of ROR activities for reporting to the National ROR center.  In July, Dr. Hale was awarded a $2000 grant from Target that provided funding for the purchase of 830 books for the clinic. She has also worked toward raising awareness for the program by speaking to civic organizations and parent groups. For example, the Johnson City Rotary Club has agreed to hold a holiday drive in December to raise money and gather new books for the clinics.  ETSU Athletics will hold book drives at three athletic events this school year (men’s soccer on 10/2/2010 and men’s and women’s basketball on 1/31/2011). ETSU’s Early Childhood Education students and pediatric residents will staff these events. 

               ETSU’s continued involvement with the ROR program has the potential to provide numerous research possibilities for the faculty as well as research, learning, or service opportunities for students.  Most important, the program will positively affect the families served and prepare their children for increased success when they enter school.