Reach Out and Read Washington

02/11/2025

"Babies with lower heart rates during back-and-forth interactions with their mothers at three months tend to have higher vocabularies when they are two and a half years old." Fascinating research from the University of Washington's I-LABS.

Heart-to-Heart: Babies love to listen to parentese, but did you know that it can also help calm babies? Recent research from I-LABS shows that the more parentese and back-and-forth interactions mothers use with their babies, the lower their heart rates tend to be. And this soothing, language rich environment pays off. Babies with lower heart rates during back-and-forth interactions with their mothers at three months tend to have higher vocabularies when they are two and a half years old. Read the study: https://buff.ly/3WKQMek

02/08/2025

Huge thanks to our partners at Pacific Medical Centers for their long-time participation in Reach Out and Read!

Happy World Read Aloud Day! 📚

At PacMed, we're proud to support the Reach Out and Read program. At each well-child checkup for children from infancy through age 5, our clinicians offer advice to caregivers about early relationships and literacy and give children a new book to take home to build their home libraries.

Join us in promoting literacy and making a difference in our community. Let's read aloud and inspire the next generation of readers. 💙

Learn more about the program: http://ms.spr.ly/6184Un9rQ

12/27/2024

05/20/2024

We are thrilled to be a part of the initial distribution of these amazing new titles making their way now to ROR clinics across Washington!

05/10/2024

Positive experiences in childhood = improved mental health and life satisfaction for teens! https://www.sfu.ca/sfunews/stories/2024/04/positive-childhood-experiences-can-boost-mental-health-and-reduc.html?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2LFSrsBjssLYxWlHoPVF8i-ih_vpqKtfSv07H9uVFmfnBx_UHe_ppdNag_aem_ASvaomFf1bPkKeXTyz-H8hMM5-QCgRK7A_qwqz8G-pHA5qQovPXKOo-J-LPjHy5h4bzI9L0xiuyfaWlDNOqInNys

Having more positive childhood experiences is associated with lower levels of depression and anxiety, and better life satisfaction and mental health.

04/25/2024

04/23/2024

Open a book, open a mind. 📚✨ Spread the joy of reading with your little ones this World Book Day, and watch as their imagination takes flight, their vocabulary blooms, and your bond grows stronger with every page turned!

04/12/2024

Thank you Seattle's Child for sharing about the launch of our Building Connections Begins at Birth initiative to bring Reach Out and Read to 4 additional well-child checkups starting when babies are born!

"Why is reading from birth important to babies? A growing body of evidence indicates that routinely spending time together and reading aloud from the moment a baby is born can have a lasting positive impact on a child’s language acquisition and early literacy. Regular reading can boost a baby’s and growing child’s emotional connectedness and healthy social-emotional development."

Reach Out and Read Northwest has received new funds to expand a program aimed at teaching parents values of reading aloud from day one.

04/02/2024

Happy International Children's Book Day! Take a moment to read with a little one in your life, strengthening your connections and opening a door to a world filled with imagination.

03/29/2024

03/25/2024

The harms of Adverse Childhood Experiences are well-known, but let's flip the narrative! Positive Childhood Experiences — ones that cultivate a sense of stability, safety, and connectedness — mitigate the damage to a child's development caused by toxic stress.
https://www.statnews.com/2024/03/18/positive-childhood-experiences-pces-aces-trauma-health/?fbclid=IwAR2Ef0cFIDA6uAFxyLQP5hxPnaE4n0DecqNtOSGC7vi-1hxg4REZ9bVS7lc

Positive childhood experiences can mitigate some of the long-term health consequences of trauma.