Mission

Reach Out and Read of Greater New York's mission is to prepare young children to succeed in school by partnering with pediatricians to prescribe books and encourage families to read together.

What We Do

We team up with pediatricians to provide books and literacy guidance to New York's youngest children, with an emphasis on children in underserved communities. We distribute books to over a quarter of a million children annually at more than 195 Reach Out and Read clinical locations throughout New York City, Long Island, and the Hudson Valley.

The program begins for babies at the 6-month checkup and continues through age 5. At each checkup, children receive a free developmentally-appropriate book to keep, and parents or caretakers are counseled on the importance of reading aloud to children daily for the development of language and pre-reading skills. Children who participate in Reach Out and Read have stronger vocabularies and language skills, and start kindergarten ready to succeed.

Reach Out and Read of Greater New York is a regional affiliate of the national organization, Reach Out and Read, Inc.