Reach Out and Read program at Parkland receives David M. Rubenstein Prize for advancing literacy

DALLAS – Reach Out and Read, a national literacy program Parkland Health & Hospital System has implemented in its Community Oriented Primary Care Clinics (COPCs) since it was founded in 1999, has received the prestigious David M. Rubenstein Prize, the top honor among the 2013 Library of Congress Literacy Awards, for its significant work in advancing literacy. Reach Out and Read was chosen for the prize from a pool of more than 185 applicants, both literacy-related organizations and individuals.

Through the Reach Out and Read program, a new, age-appropriate book is provided for each child age 6 months to 5 years after each visit to one of Parkland’s COPCs. Books are offered in English, Spanish and bilingual, and in the past six months alone, 1,123 books were distributed to children at Parkland’s DeHaro/Saldivar Heath Center. As part of the program, doctors and nurses offer guidance to parents about the importance of reading aloud with their children every day.

“We encourage parents to read to their kids in order to prepare them for school and to help elevate their literacy levels,” said Rosie Hernandez, Parkland’s Reach Out and Read coordinator.

According to the program, Reach Out and Read is a proven intervention, supported by 15 independent published research studies. During the preschool years, children served by Reach Out and Read score three to six months ahead of their non-Reach Out and Read peers on vocabulary tests.

“I’m proud to say that Parkland participates in this program and it is satisfying to know that the books not only make the kids happy, but also help them lay a strong foundation for their future,” said Hernandez.