Since 2018, all ThedaCare pediatricians and primary care providers have been engaged with the national Reach Out and Read program, a national pediatric literacy program endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
The program begins with parents receiving a book at their baby’s first post-birth checkup and continues through age 5. At each well-child visit, the child receives a book that is age, language and culturally appropriate to take home, with the intention that the parents or guardians will regularly read that book with their child. The providers then talk with the parents or guardians about the importance of reading aloud to children as part of the developmental progress.
Recently, Reach Out and Read Wisconsin held a statewide conference in Appleton to promote the program to more health systems, highlighting the success of ThedaCare’s program. In 2023, 25 ThedaCare Clinics handed out 23,088 books, with 184 ThedaCare providers participating in the program. Nearly 140,000 books have been shared with families since ThedaCare first joined the Reach Out and Read program in 2013.
“According to research, we know that 90% of a toddler’s brain development occurs between birth and age 5, so it’s a critical stage of development,” said Tracey Ratzburg, Community Health Coordinator for ThedaCare. “The initial purpose of the Reach Out and Read program is to get parents reading to their children, and it’s far more than a reading program. It also helps build a social connection and trusting relationship between parents and the child, so it’s relational and literacy growth combined.”
