Pee Dee People Making A Difference: Reach Out & Read

A group of Pee Dee residents are taking part in the Riley Institute of Furman University's Diversity Leadership Initiative.  As part of their participation in the program, the group implemented a literacy-rich waiting room in Dr. Dante Lewis' pediatric office in Dillon.  

Reach Out & Read, a program designed to increase literacy levels in young people and provide advice to parents in regards to literacy development, is now a part of each child's visit to Dr. Lewis' office.

Bruce Douglas, Octavia Williams-Blake, Josh Bell, Jack Osteen

Not pictured: Sherry Stewart, Tim Hardee, Mia Garrick, Susan Bankston

The group, which consisted of Jack Osteen and Tim Hardee of Sumter, Josh Bell, Octavia Williams-Blake and Susan Bankston of Florence, Sherry Stewart of Summerton, Mia Garrick of Columbia and Bruce Douglas of Hartsville, enhanced the nationally-acclaimed program by collecting gently-used books so that each child, patient or sibling of a patient, would leave Dr. Lewis' office with a book following a visit.  

More about Reach Out & Read:

Reach Out and Read is an evidence-based nonprofit organization that promotes early literacy and school readiness in pediatric exam rooms nationwide by giving new books to children and advice to parents about the importance of reading aloud.

Reach Out and Read builds on the unique relationship between parents and medical providers to develop critical early reading skills in children, beginning at 6 months of age. Reach Out and Read serves more than 4 million children and their families annually. Reach Out and Read families read together more often, and their children enter kindergarten better prepared to succeed, with larger vocabularies and stronger language skills. During the preschool years, children served by Reach Out and Read score three to six months ahead of their non-Reach Out and Read peers on vocabulary tests.

For more information about Furman University's Diversity Leadership Initiative, click here.