Ambulatory Medicine
at Hasbro Children's Hospital
Literacy for Kids:
The Read To Me Program
Although reading is the cornerstone of all learning, recent research
shows that young people simply are not reading well enough. What's
worse, reading failure disproportionately affects children from
socially and economically disadvantaged families and contributes
to continuing the cycle of poverty.
Since 1993 a group of pediatricians, educators and interested volunteers
at Hasbro Children's Hospital has been working together to address
this problem. The result is the Read To Me program, an extensive
volunteer effort to promote literacy for children who are cared
for at Hasbro Children's Hospital. Our research, as well as that
of others, has demonstrated that families who participate in these
kinds of programs read more with their young children and that one
of the benefits for kids is enhanced language development.
The primary goals of the Read To Me program are:
- to spark children's interest in reading;
- to increase parents' awareness of the importance of reading
aloud to their children; and
- to provide an opportunity for pediatricians to stress the importance
of reading for the overall health and well-being of children.
How the program works 
For more information about the Read to Me program call 401-444-8638
or e-mail phigh@lifespan.org.
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