Reading program opens possibilities for children
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The Marshall County Reach Out and Read program gifts more than 5,000 books to children each year.
The program puts books in the hands of parents and their children starting at a 2-month-old's well-child visit to their doctor. Dr. Colette Lothe, pediatrician at McFarland Clinic, has served as the medical director to the program since it came to Marshall County in 2006.
"Our goal was to get every health-care provider that works with children under the age of 5 to get trained in Reach Out and Read," Lothe said. "By 2010 we accomplished that goal."
Children, between the ages of 2 months and 5 years, receive 10 books from the program.
Research shows children are more likely to succeed in school when their parents read aloud to them during the early years of their development. The activity of reading together during these years also strengthens the bonds between parents and children.
Lothe said by reading aloud to children, they will hear words not normally spoken in the home. The language-rich books help strengthen their vocabulary.
At the earliest well-child visits, the books highlight geometric shapes, often in black and white because it is easier for children at 2 and 6 months old to see. By 2 and 3 years old, the books "prescribed" by the doctor focus more on helping the child understand emotions.
It is recommended parents read aloud to their children for 20 minutes per day.
"It's really a valuable service. It helps to teach the importance of reading as a developmental tool to help kids prepare for school and do their best in school," Lothe said. "Kids are very excited as they get older to get a book. Parents are very excited when the children are younger to get a book."
The Marshalltown Public Library selects the books for the program and houses them at the library. Youth Librarian Joa Laville said this is one of the only services the library has been able to continue providing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"It's been a good feeling to keep this program going," she said. "The show must go on. Babies continue to be born. The whole point is every moment counts. You can't pause for a few months because pausing for a few months in a baby's life is their whole life."
In 2019, more than $10,000 was spent on books for the program. It received more than $7,000 in donations during the same year, leaving about a $3,000 gap. The committee fundraises during the fall to keep the program going and is always looking for volunteers to deliver books to health-care providers according to committee chair Betsy Macke.
"I firmly believe this is a wonderful program," she said. "The health-care providers and nurses, they constantly tell me how happy they are with the program."
Laville said it has been great for the library to become involved in the program.
"One of the strongest things we like about a program like Reach Out and Read is it gets books in children's hands proactively," she said. "We hope they continue that journey by getting connected to the library. We feel privileged to be given that interaction with families from day one."
The national Reach Out and Read organization was founded at the Boston City Hospital in 1989.
Contact Joe Fisher at 641-753-6611 or jfisher@timesrepublican.com