About Us
In 1989, Reach Out and Read was founded at Boston City Hospital (now Boston Medical Center) through a collaboration between pediatricians and early childhood educators.
As a result of their work, physicians and educators realized that pediatricians and nurse practitioners were in a unique position to promote early literacy for two reasons: p
Pediatricians regularly interact with young children and their parents at well-child checkups.
Parents trust and respect the guidance that they receive from pediatricians. When doctors and nurses discuss the importance of reading in an exam-room setting, parents realize the significance of the message.
Reach Out and Read was originally based on a simple but powerful premise: encourage parents to read regularly to their children and give them the tools (the books) to do so.