Joining well child visits at the Centra Medial Group Village this summer: “Clifford the Big Red Dog.” Not to mention dinosaurs, tadpoles and other fun characters.
Thanks to your donations, more local children under 5 will have books to read given to them by Centra Caregivers – and more families will know how to nurture literacy skills. Clinicians will model reading and discuss the importance of doing so at home.
“The rewards are far reaching,” said Virginia Blanks, MD. “The goal is to get the child into the laps of Caregivers at home to interact. What is so exciting to me is that these interactions increase verbal ability and enhance language acquisition. In addition, the positive experience of being close to a caregiver and interacting helps the child’s resiliency later in life. This is a simple and pleasant way to improve a child’s long-term health.”
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends early literacy promotion as an essential component of pediatric care. The books are part of the Reach Out and Read Intervention program. Dr. Blanks selected fiction and nonfiction titles to share with families.
“I would like to thank donors,” Dr. Blanks said. “This is a win for everyone.”