Reach Out and Read Minnesota

06/22/2026

Simple routines have astonishing results 🙌

While young children's brains are highly complex, the routines needed to build them don't have to be!

By stimulating your child's brain with language, sounds, simple patterns and snuggles, you are helping them build the connections that will serve them for the rest of their lives.

06/09/2026

As kids of all ages wrap up the school year, let's remember this:

Our schools do amazing work to educate our kids and guide them along their reading journeys, but the work of literacy doesn't begin in school...

📚🧠 Literacy begins at birth. 🧠📚

Brain development is most rapid during the first five years, especially in the first three. During this time, children’s brains are forming the neural connections necessary for language, attention, memory, and emotional regulation — all of which are essential for reading. By building strong verbal and social-emotional skills early on, we lay the foundation for reading success in the school years and beyond.

06/05/2026

"Every time someone designs the conditions for reading, people read."

This wonderful piece from Brian Bannon, chief librarian at NYPL The New York Public Library, reminds us that people want to read! It's up to us to make a world where reading is ubiquitous and accessible to all.

When we choose to invest in our libraries and proven literacy programs like Reach Out and Read, we are taking the necessary steps to build a reading world for all.

The reading crisis is real, but the solution does not require new inventions.

06/03/2026

What does "mental health" really mean for infants and young children?

"When it comes to young children, mental health begins long before any type of diagnosis, with the everyday interactions that shape how they experience safety, connection and the world around them," says Terri McFadden, MD, MPH, FAAP in another excellent article for Psychology Today.

And simple actions like reading together now can make a world of difference for their present and future mental well-being!

As Mental Health Awareness Month ends, one powerful tool for supporting children’s emotional well-being may already be in your home: a book and a few minutes together.

05/28/2026

Reach Out and Read Minnesota is thrilled to lift up Dr. Seth Gregory of Mayo Clinic Health System in Red Wing as our 2026 Gilchrist Award Winner!

Dr. Gregory is a phenomenal champion for the healthy development of his youngest patients. He makes sure to start each of his check-ups by sharing a brand-new book with his patient — and he helps all of his fellow doctors at his clinic do the same!

After learning about Reach Out and Read during residency, Dr. Gregory led the charge to get the program up and running at his new clinic. Once they saw the results, his colleagues were all in!

"Dr. Gregory’s commitment to patient-centered care fosters an environment in which children feel valued and supported, and they respond with attentiveness and confidence in his guidance,” says Southern Minnesota Program Specialist, Danette Kubit.

05/26/2026

Nothing gets us more excited than seeing a kid get excited by a book!

Young children often ask for the same book again and again — and that's okay! Hearing the same book many times over helps children get a better sense of what each word means and helps them identify patterns and rhythms in the language. The familiarity can also be calming and comforting!

05/22/2026

Please join us in congratulating Representative Dave Pinto, winner of our 2026 Loeffler Award! Rep. Pinto is a tireless advocate for the Reach Out and Read program and more broadly for young children and their families in Minnesota.

He has worked to secure funding for our early learning program at clinics all across the state during multiple rounds of funding and he is constantly working to educate his colleagues on the importance of investing in early childhood.

When our youngest children do better, our society will do better!

05/08/2026

What a joy it was to gather with so many of you for our Spring Benefit Breakfast on Tuesday! We are so fortunate have a community filled with caring and capable champions for early childhood learning and health.

We left feeling truly inspired by our speakers and guests who advocate tirelessly for Minnesota's young children and their families. In spite of the challenges we face, with a community like this we are feeling confident we can build a better future for our state's kids.

Thanks to generosity of our donors and sponsors we raised over $50,000 in support of our program at clinics across Minnesota!

You can watch the recording of the event here: https://youtu.be/m1caGN4i7SY?si=zAoFz07bzch7xxL9

04/29/2026

Friends. we have some phenomenal speakers lined up for our Spring Benefit Breakfast happening on May 5th.

The work that these three clinicians have done in support of the diverse communities they serve is inspiring — we think you'll want to hear all about it.

Dr. Kellie Stecher is an OBGYN who also happens to hold a Masters of Science in Law. When the community she serves was in crisis this winter, she organized to help make sure every family was getting the support they needed

Sheyanga Beecher is a nurse practitioner who leads Hennepin Healthcare's mobile health unit which provides maternal and pediatric care to underinsured/uninsured communities across the Twin Cities.

Dr. Krishnan Subrahmanian is a pediatrician at Hennepin Healthcare and the Redleaf Center for Family Healing. He also serves as Chief Medical Officer at Hennepin Health, Hennepin County's Medicaid Program. He will be sharing about how a trauma-informed approach to care will be critical in helping Minnesota families heal and build resilience.

You won't want to miss this! There is still time to register and join us in person or virtually; just use this link: https://reachoutandreadmn.org/news/events/spring-benefit-breakfast-2026.html

04/22/2026

You won't want to miss our benefit breakfast on May 5th! Join us alongside leaders in healthcare, early learning, and public policy as we rally support for Minnesota's youngest learners and their families.

We'll be talking all about how simple acts, like shared reading, have a huge role to play in helping families heal from stress and trauma, and build kids' brains for a happier, healthier future.

Register here: https://reachoutandreadmn.org/news/events/spring-benefit-breakfast-2026.html

We can't wait to see you there!

A huge thanks to our sponsors who make this event and our program possible at over 300 clinics across Minnesota.

Our Leadership Partner: All About Books

Our Literacy Partners: Children's Minnesota, Books, -Flanagan-LLP, Delta Dental of Minnesota, Fairview Health Services, HealthPartners