Program works to get families reading
Yuma Kids Clinic
(928) 783-1222
Karen Watts, N.P.,PLC
(928) 341-0058
San Luis Walk- In Clinic. Inc.
(928) 722-6112 or
(928) 627-1120
Yuma Children's Clinic
(928) 819-7000
Camillus Health Care Center
(928) 627-2055
Reach Out and Read Yuma County
(928) 304-2938
Sunset Community Health Centers
(928) 627-3822
(928) 785-3256 or
(928) 627-2051
Tuscany Children Clinic
(928) 366-1026
Yuma Valley Family Medicine Center
(928) 782-1903
Reach Out and Read Arizona (RORAZ), a program of the Arizona Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AzAAP) and the Reach Out and Read National Center, seeks to improve the lives of families by making early literacy a standard part of pediatric primary care. Reach Out and Read is a pediatric literacy program endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners. Doctors, nurse practitioners and other pediatric healthcare professionals trained in Reach Out and Read's evidence-based model incorporate intervention into well-child visits by advising parents about the importance of reading aloud, educating parents about early literacy developmental milestones, and giving developmentally appropriate books to children to take home.
The program begins at the 6-month checkup and continues to age 5, with a special emphasis on children growing up in low-income communities.
Research findings from 15 published, peer-reviewed studies clearly demonstrate that Reach Out and Read is effective. Parents who have received the Reach Out and Read intervention are significantly more likely to read to their children and have more children's books in the home compared to families who have not participated in the program.
In addition, children served by the Reach Out and Read program score significantly higher on vocabulary tests. No other early literacy intervention has this kind of evidence base or impact.
The Yuma Regional Council of First Things First is committed to helping Yuma's children, age five and younger, receive the quality education, health care and family support they need to arrive at school healthy and ready to succeed. As a result, the Yuma Regional Council of First Things First has provided generous funding for the Yuma County Reach Out and Read Program, which is now implemented in 11 clinics, including private practices and community health centers, and serves almost 8,000 children each year.
For more information on First Things First please visit www.azftf.gov
For more information on Reach out and Read please visit www.reachoutandread.org or contact Irene Garza – Yuma ROR Coordinator at irene@rorarizona.org
