News

United Through Reading Partners with Reach Out and Read San Diego

April 28, 2025

Getting books into a child’s hands is the first step, reading that book aloud and sharing a story with your child is the next step in strengthening their motivation, curiosity, memory, and vocabulary while creating positive childhood experiences and building bonds between parent and child. Reach Out and Read San Diego is spreading this important message to families by providing free books to each child 5 years and under at every well-child visit – a brand-new book of their very own, to take home and keep. For some children, this is their first book!

An Air Force service member smiles while sitting with a young blonde girl wearing a floral dress as they read a children’s book titled Families together. Next to the image is a blue box featuring a testimonial from Dr. Christine Johnson that says: "I had a three-year-old in my office, her parents are both active duty and her father is currently deployed. I was able to use the book to assess her development as she knew all of her colors and shapes, animals and animal sounds. A medical student helped with this routine well-check and was able to learn about the benefits of our Reach Out and Read Program, how to use the book during the visit, and model for the parent how to use the book to promote literacy." — Dr. Christine Johnson, Naval Medical Center San Diego

The Reach Out and Read program starts with early literacy, but naturally extends to social-emotional development, early math, motivation, persistence, confidence, and so much more. Shared reading promotes healthy brain development, language acquisition, and positive parent-child relations. The program expanded its model to integrate guidance and books in each well-child visit beginning at birth rather than starting at the 6-month visit. All of which is based on a growing body of evidence that supports the importance of introducing talking, reading, and singing with babies right from the start.

California is already facing a literacy crisis where nearly 60% of third graders read below grade level, according to a policy brief by EdVoice Institute. Students not reading proficiently by third grade are four times more likely to drop out of high school. When we consider these already startling statistics, coupled with the educational disruptions experienced by military children who experience an average of 6-9 moves between kindergarten and high school, programs such as Reach Out and Read San Diego and United Through Reading that teach resiliency and building bonds through reading can be great resources for families.

Reach Out and Read San Diego is on a mission to give kids the best start and partner with parents to model skills that will benefit their children throughout their lives. This aligns perfectly with United Through Reading’s mission to do the same for military children and families. Reach Out and Read San Diego and United Through Reading are partnering to bring even more books into children’s hands. This collaboration that started in San Diego with eight hundred books is now spreading to the Bay Area, Arizona, Colorado, Alabama, Georgia, and more.

Reach Out and Read books, reading materials, and resources in English and Spanish are available at 58 military installations for parents to take home as a reminder of the guidance offered during their child’s well-visit on the importance of talking, reading, and singing from birth.

Two service members, one in a Marine Corps uniform and one in an Air Force uniform with a stethoscope, smile while reading a children's book to a happy toddler sitting between them. Next to the image is a blue box featuring a testimonial that says: "I love the United Through Reading program. When I was deployed in 2011, I was able to take part in the program and video myself reading a book that my girls could then have at home. They had the book 'Mehalia Mouse Goes to College' by John Lithgow and they could watch me read it to them. Although my girls are now older (22, 20, and 16 years old), we still have that book at home, and they still remember having the CD of me reading it from my ship across the world."

Military families can undergo many changes and shifts, making creating daily reading routines difficult. Daily shared reading is one routine that is easy to start and that families can take anywhere. It’s never too early to start reading to your child. Read together every day, and before you know it, you’ve created your own family tradition and routine that can stay with you no matter where you are.

Learn more about Reach Out and Read San Diego by visiting: www.rorsd.org.

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