Reach Out and Read

Young children absorb more from difficult events than adults may realize — overhearing conversations, asking difficult questions, and often bringing their worries into play.

In a new episode of this Minnesota Public Radio podcast, early childhood leaders share practical ways adults can help children navigate fear, understand fairness, and build a stronger sense of safety and belonging.

Brave Conversations: Helping Young Children Make Sense of Fear, Fairness and Belonging | Minnesota Public Radio When immigration raids and stories of racial profiling make headlines, young children notice. They hear conversations, ask difficult questions and often bring their worries into play. In this episode, Host Dianne Haulcy talks with Marie Lister of the University of Minnesota Child Development Laborat...

Happy Dolly Day! 📚❤️

Inspired by Dolly Parton's iconic hit "9 to 5," Sept. 25 is a day to recognize Dolly's lifelong commitment to giving and literacy.

One way Dolly changed lives was through Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, which mails books directly to the homes of young children worldwide, creating more opportunities for reading, connection, and learning.

Celebrate by sharing a story with your little one and giving them one more reason to dream big.

Novelist Lisa Owens found comfort in picture books that reflected the realities of early parenthood.

As she writes in The New York Times, the depictions of long days, messy routines, and parents simply trying to keep up made her feel seen — and reassured that a hard day was only one day.

How Reading Picture Books to My Babies Helped Me Process My Day (Gift Article) As a child, Lisa Owens aligned herself with the little ones depicted in these books; now it was the harried adults who captivated her.

Caregivers trust clinicians to support them as their child develops. Reach Out and Read strengthens that connection.

A shared book during a well-child visit provides a window for clinicians — like Out and Read Minnesota's medical director — to learn about a family's background and needs and offer guidance they can use at home.

The result? A partnership with the child's future at the heart. ❤️📚

Children’s books are not only a source of imagination, learning, and connection, but also a way for children to understand and see the world around them.

For Black children, books that reflect their families, communities, and everyday lives can affirm that their stories matter, while giving children of different backgrounds opportunities to understand perspectives beyond their own.

This article from The Conversation US explores why Black literature matters for young readers and what children lose when stories celebrating Black children, families, and communities are removed from bookshelves.

Children’s books about Black people’s everyday, joyful lives are sometimes banned – but they help all kids explore what it means to be human Books showing Black children spending time with family, or playing at home, help Black kids see themselves in literature and give all kids a window into others’ experiences.

Are you looking for ways to make reading a more consistent part of your child's routine but aren’t sure where to start? Reach Out and Read offers free resources for parents and caregivers, including:

✅ Reading tips for newborns through preschoolers
✅ Booklists for different interests, seasons, and celebrations
✅ Videos with ideas for reading together
✅ Practical guidance for making reading fun and comforting

Explore our free family resources: https://reachoutandread.org/what-we-do/family-resources/ 💙

Family Resources / Recursos para familias - Reach Out and Read Reading together is a powerful way to build a strong bond with your child. It also helps children grow their language skills and get ready to learn.

Literacy development can show up in places families may not expect — in a rhyme, a conversation, a favorite song, or even on a walk noticing signs and sounds.

Tes magazine shares small ways families can use everyday play and shared reading routines to turn curiosity into opportunities to learn and grow.

Reading from birth: how to build early literacy skills For very young children, reading does not need to focus on the printed word, says Dr Karen Boardman, but should include playful experiences that support the development of crucial literacy skills

For many parents, the challenge isn’t understanding why reading matters — it’s finding the time amid everyday routines.

Experts say starting small can still have a meaningful impact. A short story, a chapter, or even a few pages a night can support children’s development while helping them build positive associations with books and the people who read with them.

A new article from Movieguide shares insight for making shared reading easier to fit into family life to benefit children and parents alike.

Parents Are Reading to Their Kids Less—Here’s Why That Matters The bedtime story is quietly slipping out of family life, even though many parents say they want their children to read more.

Schools play a central role in literacy outcomes, but strong, engaged readers are shaped by support that starts early and extends beyond the classroom.

In a new piece for The Columbus Dispatch, Lauren Hagan, CEO of Columbus Metropolitan Library, shares how the library is expanding use of decodable books, strengthening staff literacy training, and redesigning programs to support foundational skills for young readers.

That effort depends on a broader literacy ecosystem, where families, schools, libraries, and community organizations must work together to advance future outcomes.

As Hagan writes, “We must create a culture that values reading, celebrates it, and makes it accessible to everyone.”

They say reading is going way of dinosaurs. Columbus is proving them wrong | Opinion The future of reading will not be decided by technology alone, but by communities willing to invest in the institutions that make literacy possible.