The Campbell Reporter
News
Doc reading Doc, that's Seuss read by Singh,
this Reach Out and Read is a very good thing
By Cathy Weselby
D r. Navneet Singh, a pediatrician with Kaiser Permanente, wants to infect children with the joy of reading.
On March 3, in honor of Dr. Seuss' birthday, Singh donned his "Cat in the Hat" red and white striped hat and read Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You? to children at the Campbell clinic.
Singh introduced Reach Out and Read, a national early childhood literacy program, to Kaiser Permanente's pediatric offices. It started at the Santa Clara clinic three years ago and has spread to the satellite offices.
At every well-baby and well-child visit, children between the ages of 6 months to 5 years receive a book and a prescription for reading.
"It's professionally satisfying for us, and parents love that we're thinking about their children holistically," Singh says. "It's a win-win."
Pediatricians encourage parents to read aloud to their children and offer age-appropriate tips for books. Office staff members are also trained to deliver early literacy guidance to parents.
"Giving the children a book during the visit serves as a developmental assessment tool for us," he says.
The model promotes early literacy skills so children are better prepared to enter school.
Singh says there have been evidence-based studies that show high scores in the ability to understand words and identify pictures with children who have participated in the program.
At the Campbell office, there are piles of children's books and magazines in the waiting room and volunteers read aloud to the children. The volunteers model good reading behavior for the parents by being animated and talking in character voices.
Max Bart, a retired middle school teacher, recently started volunteering as a reader. He says he grew up being read to, and in turn read to his children and grandchildren.
"A lot of the children are shy, and it can be a challenge to engage them," he says. "It's more tense than a library environment."
Bart had a stack of books to assist him, including classics such as The Little Red Hen and newer titles such as Why Do Dinosaurs Clean Their Rooms?
By the end of the year, all 46 Kaiser Permanente pediatric clinics in Northern California will have the program up and running, and it's estimated that more than 180,000 books will be distributed during 2008.
For more information on Reach Out and Read, visit www.reachoutandread.org.