bedtime stories with their children every
night.
To promote literacy at a young age and
encourage reading to children, Aspirus is
integrating a program called Reach Out
and Read into regular well-child checkups.
Currently, Aspirus Pediatrics in Wausau
and Aspirus Medford Clinic participate
in Reach Out and Read, with plans to
expand the program to most of its other
Wisconsin clinics that serve children.
10
aspire
Fall 2014
DO
you have a favorite movie that
you’ve seen so many times you can recite
most of its lines? Kids can often do the
same thing with their favorite books—
even if they can’t yet read—just by
looking at the pictures.
The next time a child asks you to read
his or her favorite book for what may
seem like the 1,000th time, don’t turn
down the opportunity. There are many
children who don’t get exposed to books
Reach Out and Read
Building healthy brains
when they are young, and research has
shown that reading to children at a young
age can have a lasting effect on their
mental, physical and social development.
According to the Wisconsin Council
on Children and Families, 85% of
the foundation of a child’s intellect,
personality and skills is formed by
age 5. Unfortunately, a 2013 study from
Reading Is Fundamental and Macy’s
found that only 1 in 3 parents reads
Integrating well-child visits with literacy program sets kids up for success
