Did you know that reading aloud is often recognized as the single most important activity leading to language development? Reach Out and Read is one of the leading organizations that promotes early literacy and school readiness by prescribing books to children as young as six months old. Reach Out and Read has been a valuable Help Me Grow partner since the beginning in Alabama. The Reach Out and Read three part model incorporates books into regular doctor visits and empowers parents as children’s first teachers. Doctors can write parents a prescription for reading, and provide them with an age-appropriate book for their child. The website also offers reading tips, literacy milestones, and useful links for parents and pediatricians. For more information about early literacy and to find the Reach Out and Read program that is closest to you, go to www.reachoutandread.org.