From Kids for Kids: Giving the Gift of Reading

March 24, 2011, East Boston, MA—There’s a whole lot of reading going on in the Pediatrics Department at the East Boston Neighborhood Health Center (EBNHC). And thanks to the kids at the Underwood School in Newton, there’s going to be even more. Coordinated by Beatriz Ramos, MA, and Paula McNabb, NP, the Pediatrics Department at EBNHC participates in the Reach Out and Read program, which gives books to infants and children to enhance their early literacy skills.

The importance of developing these skills can’t be overstated. Studies show that a child who is read to from an early age is more apt to start reading on schedule and develop strong language and cognitive skills. What’s more, children who have difficulty reading are at increased risk of dropping out of school, abusing drugs and alcohol, and getting pregnant as a teen. Reach Out and Read provides books at a discount and guides pediatricians on how to encourage parents to help their children develop early literacy.

At every well visit, the EBNHC care provider gives each child a new, developmentally appropriate book, with the goal of building a collection of 10 new books in each child’s home before he or she enters kindergarten. Over the past year, EBNHC Pediatrics has distributed 6,257 books to children.

Reach Out and Read also encourages pediatricians to create “literacy-rich” waiting rooms that contain lots of gently used books for kids to read and have read to them. This is where the Underwood School comes in. As Laura DeDominicis, a volunteer at Underwood School explains, “Underwood does a different community outreach project with each grade. There is a huge push with reading and literacy in second grade, so we felt the kids would really connect well with a book drive. I learned of EBNHC’s wonderful reading program through my neighbor Beth Goldstein, a nurse at the health center, and Dr. Leslie Scherl, an Underwood parent. All this made doing a book drive for EBNHC seem like a perfect fit.”

In January, Pediatrics staff members Beth Goldstein, RN, and Dr. Leslie Scherl visited with second graders at Underwood. They talked with students about EBNHC and the importance of early literacy. They explained the tremendous impact students could have on the lives of the kids in the EBNHC community by donating their gently used books. In early February, EBNHC Pediatrics received a delivery of more than 1,500 gently used books for the kids at EBNHC from the kids at the Underwood School. Some of these books will be used in the waiting room and others will be distributed to patients. Scherl says, “I love how the kids are so receptive and excited by this program. When children come in for a well visit or a sick visit, one of the first things they often ask us is ‘Can I have a book?’ It’s wonderful to be able to say ‘Yes!’ and to help promote early literacy. This is one of my favorite things about my job.”

The literacy bug is also spreading at EBNHC. The Volunteer Services department has recently joined in with Ramos and McNabb to help Pediatrics transform their waiting room into a literacy-rich area. Together, they’re creating a reading nook and adding a bulletin board with library event postings. Michelle Bettano at Volunteer Services, a former elementary school teacher, knows just how important this program is. She says, “I was surprised to learn that many children do not have books in their homes. I have seen first-hand what happens when kids are not exposed to reading from an early age. They struggle with reading in school, and that struggle leads to other problems in their academics.”

In her role as a Volunteer Coordinator, Bettano has organized a pool of student volunteers from East Boston High School and elsewhere to serve as readers in the Pediatrics Department waiting room. These volunteers read to children while waiting for appointments and show kids and parents alike how much children enjoy being read to. Bettano says she aims to have a volunteer reader in the waiting room every morning and evening. In addition, Bettano has arranged for a librarian from the East Boston branch of the Boston Public Library to staff a table outside of the Pediatrics Department every month to register kids—and adults, too—for library cards and make them aware of the many resources available at the library. Bettano says, “Many of our patients come from other countries and aren’t aware of the wealth of free resources available at the library.”

If you’d like to get involved in helping with Reach Out and Read or conducting a book drive for EBNHC Pediatrics, please contact Michelle Bettano 617-568-4865. As Dr. Scherl notes, “My daughter is always thinking about donating books to EBNHC. She knows that when she outgrows her books there are many children who are eager to adopt them. She loves knowing that her books are going to a good place and will be well used.”

The East Boston Neighborhood Health Center (EBNHC) has been a vital part of its community for over 40 years, providing easily accessible, high-quality health care to all who live and work in East Boston and the surrounding communities of Chelsea, Revere, Everett, and Winthrop. EBNHC handles 300,000 patient visits per year—more than any other ambulatory care center in New England.